J2.4]H 


UC-NRLF 


B    2    fiM2    Dfl? 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


GIFT  OF 

Mrs.  George  P.   Adams 


EDUCATION  AND  ART 

IN 

SOVIET  RUSSIA 

In  the  Light  of 

OFFICIAL  DECREES  AND  DOCUMENTS 

with  a  Foreword  by  MAX  EASTMAN 


Price,  IS  Cents 


THE  SOCIALIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 

15  SPRUCE  STREET  NEW  YORK  CITY 


EDUCATION  AND  ART  IN 
SOVIET  RUSSIA 


In  the  Light  of 
OFFICIAL  DECREES  AND  DOCUMENTS 

with  a  Foreword  by  MAX  EASTMAN 


THE  SOCIALIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 

15  SPRUCE  STREET  NEW  YORK  CITY 


LOAN  STACK 
GIFT 


FOREWORD 

When  we  read  in  the  newspapers  that  people  are  being 
executed  in  hundreds  by  the  Soviet  government  in  Russia,  that 
thousands  are  being  assaulted  and  shot  dead  in  the  streets,  or 
shooting  themselves  through  fear  and  desperation,  and  when  we 
read  that  the  industrial  disorganization  is  so  great  that  the  whole 
population  is  starving  and  people  are  dying  at  the  rate  of  several 
hundred  a  day  in  Moscow  and  Petrograd,  we  feel  that  the  condi- 
tion in  that  land  is  desperate  indeed.  And  yet  that  is  merely  a 
feeling,  it  is  not  a  fact. 

People  are  dying  at  the  rate  of  two  or  three  hundred  a  day 
on  Manhattan  Island  alone.  Many  of  them  are  dying  from 
starvation.  The  president  of  the  Am.erican  Public  Health  Asso- 
ciation is  quoted  as  saying  that  3,000,000  American  children  go 
hungry  to  school  every  morning.  We  commit  20  or  30  murders 
a  day  in  the  United  States.  We  rob,  rape  and  assault  in  propor- 
tion. We  hang  or  electrocute  a  man  or  a  woman  every  third 
day.  Once  in  every  four  days  we  lynch,  burn  at  the  stake,  or 
torture  to  death  a  defenseless  human  being  without  any  pretense 
at  legal  procedure.  The  conditions  of  life  in  the  United  States 
are  so  appalling  that  our  starved,  desperate  and  degenerated  citi- 
zens are  committing  suicide  at  the  rate  of  one  every  half  hour! 

If  a  foreign  correspondent  should  deliberately  set  out  to  tell 
all  the  bad  things  that  can  be  told  about  the  United  States,  and 
none  of  the  good,  he  could,  without  any  actual  lying,  make  this 
country  look  like  the  bottom  of  the  inferno.  And  that  is  exactly 
what  the  foreign  correspondents  in  Russia  have  done — and  be- 
sides doing  that  they  have  indulged  in  a  stupendous  and  organ- 
ized campaign  of  criminal  lying.  And  if  any  correspondent  has 
been  impelled  to  do  otherwise,  his  dispatches  have  been  sup- 
pressed in  transit  or  upon  their  arrival  in  this  country.  One 
such  correspondent,  a  representative  of  the  Associated  Press, 
told  me  that  58  per  cent  of  the  dispatches  he  sent  out  from 
Moscow  were  suppressed  by  the  British  Government  before  they 
ever  arrived  on  our  shores.    The  rest  of  them  were  mangled  or 


865 


distorted  by  our  own  censors  and  headline  writers  until  it  was 
assured  that  not  one  golden  grain  of  favorable  truth  about  the 
Soviet  Republic  ever  fell  under  the  eyes  of  the  American  public. 

Of  course,  in  Russia  it  is  especially  easy  to  find  the  bad  things 
to  tell — the  things  that  will  convey  an  impression  of  complete 
barbarity  and  misery  and  the  dissolution  of  civilization.  Russia 
was  a  relatively  illiterate  country  in  the  first  place ;  it  was  stripped 
bare  by  the  war,  and  bereaved  of  millions  of  its  strongest  young 
men;  it  has  just  passed  through  the  most  profound  revolution  in 
history,  and  the  revolution  has  been  complicated  by  the  chaotic 
self-demobilization  of  an  army  of  ten  or  twelve  million  men,  and 
by  the  necessity  of  withstanding  a  counter-revolutionary  foreign 
invasion.  Obviously  under  such  circumstances  all  those  grue- 
some statistics  of  our  human  existence  that  we  usually  ignore, 
w^ould  show  a  morbid  increase  in  Russia.  There  is  nothing,  how- 
ever, in  any  press  dispatch  having  a  reasonable  degree  of  credi- 
bility, to  make  a  person  who  is  familiar  with  such  statistics  feel 
unduly  excited,  or  in  the  least  degree  inclined  to  despair  of  the 
success  of  the  great  social  experiment  that  is  being  conducted 
by  the  Soviet  government.  It  is  only  necessary  that  some  avenues 
of  publicity  shall  be  established,  which  are  not  in  the  control  of 
the  counter-revolutionary  interests,  and  which  will,  therefore, 
let  us  read  the  good  things,  as  well  as  the  bad,  which  can  be  said 
about  conditions  under  that  government. 

In  this  little  book  are  contained,  I  think,  the  most  important 
of  all  the  good  things.  And  I  write  this  foreword  in  order  to 
urge  every  American  who  cares  about  truth  and  even-handed 
justice  to  assist  in  giving  it  a  share  of  publicity  equal  to  that 
which  has  been  given  to  the  so-called  "crimes  of  the  Soviet  Gov- 
ernment." We  learn  in  this  book  that  after  all  the  futile  yearn- 
ings of  the  idealists  through  the  ages,  a  powerful  government 
has  at  last  set  out  with  resolute  purpose,  unclouded  with  any 
contrary  economic  motive,  to  make  a  complete  and  high  educa- 
tion accessible  to  all  of  its  one  hundred  and  fifty  millions  of 
people  without  bias  or  exception.  To  those  who  know  anything 
about  the  world,  and  the  sad  history  of  the  great  hopes  of  the 
world,  that  is  almost  the  most  important  fact  in  the  record  of 
these  times.  No  political  or  military  event  could  possibly  be 
more  important  than  that.  And  yet  that  fact  has  never  received 
the  space  of  a  single  paragraph  in  the  news  columns  of  any  of 


our  great  daily  papers.*  It  is  to  the  general  American  public 
absolutely  unknown.  Let  it  be  your  task — you  who  happen  upon 
this  volume — to  make  it  known. 

One  cannot  read  these  idealistic  experimental  decrees  of  the 
Soviet  Bureau  of  Education,  and  the  firm  clear-minded  report  of 
the  humanitarian  scholar,  Lunacharsky,  without  travelling  back 
in  his  thoughts  to  Plato's  Republic — the  great  book  of  the  political 
hopes  of  mankind.  For  in  that  book  these  hopes  rested  alto- 
gether upon  the  faith  of  its  author  in  the  power  of  education. 
He  believed  a  republic  to  be  possible  in  which  men  should  be 
happy  in  a  common  ownership  of  capital,  and  in  which  there 
should  be  an  "aristocracy,"  not  of  wealth,  but  of  real  merit  and 
ability.  But  he  knew  that  such  a  republic  would  never  be  realized 
in  human  history  until  someone  who  desired  it  came  into  the 
possession  of  ab^lute  power  and  immediately  devoted  himself< 
to  the  problem  of  education.  He  thought  of  this  "someone" 
as  the  son  of  a  king.  He  thought  that  the  world  must  wait  until 
by  some  grand  lucky  chance  a  "philosopher" — that  is,  a  man  of 
the  highest  impersonal  wisdom  and  motivation — should  be  born 
to  the  throne.  And  he  was  so  sure  that  even  this  almighty 
imaginary  savior  could  do  nothing  except  by  revolutionizing  the 
educational  system,  that  he  declared,  with  humorous  exaggera- 
tion, that  the  first  act  of  his  government  would  be  to  "send  out 
into  the  country  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  who  are  more  than 
ten  years  old,  and  take  possession  of  their  children,  who  will  be 
unaffected  by  the  habits  of  their  parents." 

The  aspiring  heart  of  the  world  has  never  for  a  single  moment 
forgotten  Plato's  hope.  It  has  steadily  refused  to  believe  that  the 
ideal  republic  is  merely  an  abstract  dream.    In  its  dark  sorrow 

*  We  were  learning  some  time  ago  to  discredit  the  picture  of 
events  that  is  presented  in  our  daily  papers.  We  supplemented  that 
with  the  reading  of  news-articles  in  some  of  the  popular  magazines, 
whose  editors  assumed  a  more  serious  responsibility  for  statements  of 
fact.  The  degree  to  which  these  editors  also  have  thrown  all  truth 
and  honorable  responsibility  to  the  winds  in  the  matter  of  Russia  is 
suggested  in  this  statement  signed  by  the  editors  of  McClure's  (Jan- 
uar}'-,  1919):  "Throughout  Russia  tens  of  thousands  are  being  officially 
executed  merely  because  they  are  educated." 

Compare  that  statement  with  the  facts  reported  in  this  volume, 
and  estimate  the  editors  of  McClure's  accordingly.  It  would  not  have 
taken  them  two  hour?  to  possess  these  facts  at  the  time  they  made 
that   statement. 


and  continual  misery  of  broken  efforts  and  aspirations,  it  has 
waited  for  the  king's  son  to  come.  And  now,  after  twenty-two 
hundred  years,  the  king's  son  has  come.  But  he  has  come  in 
overalls  and  old  clothes  of  the  farm,  and  the  heart  of  the  world 
is  slow  indeed  to  recognize  him  and  acknowledge  his  triumphant 
power.  Just  as  the  rabbis  of  Jerusalem  were  unable  to  recognize 
their  Messiah  in  the  carpenter  of  Nazareth  who  rode  into 
their  city  on  an  ass,  so  the  high  priests  of  democracy  and  of 
"social  science"  cannot  give  their  allegiance  to  the  real  savior 
of  mankind,  the  revolutionary  proletariat.  They  cannot  divorce 
their  idea  of  what  is  wise  and  fine  from  what  is  well-clothed  and 
respectable.  They  are  still  bound  by  the  habits  of  the  old  kind 
of  aristocracy,  and  so  they  are  powerless  even  to  extend  a  hand 
of  welcome  to  the  new. 

And  yet,  how  obvious  it  seems  to  have  been  all  along !  A  society 
in  which  one  class  of  the  people-  lives  and  finds  leisure  for 
"ideals,"  only  because  it  exploits  another  class  and  deprives 
them  of  life,  cannot  possibly  realize  those  of  its  ideals  which  are 
humane  and  just.  To  create  a  beautiful  political  thing  out  of 
the  materials  of  human  nature  in  such  conditions,  is  utterly  im- 
possible. The  most  benevolent  of  reformers  cannot  even  begin 
to  do  it,  for  they  are  destroyed  and  their  effort  is  destroyed  by 
the  blind  instinct  of  self-preservation  in  that  upper  class  which 
holds  the  power  of  wealth.  Even  the  philosopher-king,  as  Plato 
himself  realized,  would  succeed  only  in  becoming  a  martyr  to 
this  power  that  is  behind  all  thrones.  "And  yet  in  the  whole 
course  of  the  ages,"  he  said  sadly,  "perhaps  a  single  one  may 
be  saved." 

It  was  altogether  impossible  that  a  tyrant-philosopher  should 
communize  the  world — and  equally  impossible  that  the  tyrant 
class  should  be  persuaded  to  relinquish  its  privilege  little  by 
little  in  behalf  of  a  more  ideal  society — an  impossible  dream. 
Nature's  force  of  self-interest  is  too  strong.  But  it  was  not 
impossible  that  the  members  of  the  exploited  class  themselves, 
instead  of  trying  each  one  individually  to  climb  out  into  the 
tyrant  class,  should  band  themselves  together  to  conquer  the 
tyrant,  abolish  the  system  of  exploitation  altogether,  and  begin 
the  building  of  an  ideal  republic.  That  was  possible,  because 
the  self-interest  of  these  classes  when  banded  together  happens 
to  be  in  general  accord  with  that  impersonal  wisdom  which  Plato 
attributed  to  the  philosopher,  and  they  happen  through  the  evolu- 


tion  of  industry  to  have  acquired  a  power  greater  than  could 
ever  have  fallen  to  the  son  of  a  king.  And  so  in  our  century,  in 
the  old  empire  of  Russia,  that  miracle  for  which  Plato  so  wist- 
fully waited  has  come.  Someone  who  desires  a  common  owner- 
skip  of  capital,  and  an  aristocracy  not  of  wealth  but  of  real 
merit  and  ability,  has  come  into  the  possession  of  absolute  power. 
And  what  we  learn  in  the  leaves  of  this  book  is  the  joyful  news 
that  this  great  savior  of  the  world  has  proceeded  at  once,  and 
with  all  the  power,  energy,  brains  and  wealth  at  his  disposal, 
to  make  permanent  the  growth  of  the  seeds  of  the  republic,  by 
revolutionizing  the  system  of  education. 

It  is  a  great  deal  to  say  that  the  self-interest  of  the  lower 
classes  when  banded  together  accords  with  an  impersonal  inter- 
est in  the  welfare  of  man.  The  assertion  rests,  of  course,  upon 
profounder  considerations  than  can  be  advanced  here.  But 
whatever  exceptions  must  be  made  to  it,  they  do  not  appear  in 
the  material  which  is  presented  in  this  volume.  These  documents 
reveal  not  only  a  determination  to  make  the  schools  of  the  New 
Russia  "revolutionary,"  but  also,  and  still  more  clearly,  a  deter- 
mination to  make  them  wise.  It  seems  as  though  the  very  genius 
of  Plato — who  is  the  spiritual  father  of  the  "modern  movement" 
in  education — presides  over  this  bureau  of  the  people's  enlighten- 
ment. I  believe  the  most  advanced  philosophers  of  that  modern 
movement^ — which  is  in  our  country  for  the  most  part  merely 
a  speculation— will  find  themselves  at  home  in  these  reports  of 
what  is  beginning  to  be  done  in  Russia.  To  me,  at  least,  much 
as  I  have  believed  in  the  possibility  of  ideal  developments  once 
the  capitalistic  obstacle  was  removed,  the  degree  in  which  such 
a  development  appears  already  in  these  fragments  of  the  most 
vital  news  from  Moscow,  is  astonishing.  I  want  to  add  to  them 
a  paragraph  which  appeared  in  the  very  first  decree  of  the 
Commissar  of  Education,  issued  in  the  days  immediately  follow- 
ing the  Bolshevik  revolution.  I  quote  it  from  the  Appendix  of 
John  Reed's  book,  "Ten  Days  that  Shook  the  World" : 

"One  must  emphasize  the  difference  between  instruction  and 
education.  Instruction  is  the  transmission  of  ready  knowledge 
by  the  teacher  to  his  pupil.  Education  is  a  creative  process.  The 
personality  of  the  individual  is  being  'educated'  throughout  life, 
is  being  formed,  grows  richer  in  content,  stronger  and  more 
perfect. 

"The  toiling  masses  of  the  people — ^the  workmen,  the  peas- 


ants,  the  soldiers — are  thirsting  for  elementary  and  advanced 
mstruction.  But  they  are  also  thirsting  for  education.  Not  the 
government,  nor  the  intellectuals,  nor  any  other  power  outside 
of  themselves,  can  give  it  to  them.  The  "school,  the  book,  the 
theatre,  the  museum,  etc.,  may  here  be  only  aids.  They  have  their 
own  ideas  formed  by  their  social  position,  so  different  from  the 
position  of  those  ruling  classes  and  intellectuals  who  have  hitherto 
created  culture.  They  have  their  own  ideas,  their  own  emotions, 
their  own  ways  of  approaching  the  problems  of  personality  and 
society.  The.  city  laborer,  according  to  his  own  fashion,  the 
rural  toiler  according  to  his,  will  each  build  his  clear  world-con- 
cept permeated  with  the  class-idea  of  the  workers.  There  is  no 
more  superb  or  beautiful  phenomenon  than  the  one  of  which 
our  nearest  descendants  will  be  both  witnesses  and  participants: 
the  building  by  collective  Labor  of  its  own  general,  rich  and 
free  soul." 

There  is  here  no  intimation  of  ,any  narrow  or  temporary  pur- 
pose— CA^en  the  purpose  to  perpetuate  the  insurrection,  which 
might  at  that  time  have  dominated  every  mind.  It  is  only  the 
'broadest  and  fullest  expression  of  the  impulse  of  mankind  in 
social  communion  to  grow.  We  do  not  yet  know  how  strong 
or  general  that  impulse  is,  nor  how  much  the  inexorable  facts 
of  nature  may  impede  it,  but  we  see  it  at  last  set  free  from  the 
one  age-long,  dark,  compressive  force  of  economic  tyranny,  and 
we  are  justified  in  feeling  an  emotion  of  joyful  and  creative  hope. 

"The  problems  that  face  us  are  great,  responsible  and  press- 
ing," says  the  appeal  of  the  Proletarian  Cultural  Organization, 
*'but  we  believe  that  the  forces  which  will  come  to  our  assistance 
are  also  great."  To  that  message  of  courageous  faith  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  understanding  idealist  in  every  land  to  respond. 

MAX  EASTMAN. 


Education  and  Art  in  Soviet  Russia 

Being  a  Set  of  Important  Decrees  and  Documents  Published 

in  Russia,  with  a  Few  Explanatory  Remarks  for 

American  Readers 

With  a  Foreword  by  Max  Eastman 


I..  The  Organization  of  the  Educational  System 

After  the  installation  of  proletarian  dictatorship  in  Russia, 
following  the  proletarian  revolution  of  November  7,  1917, 
(October  25,  old  style),  all  branches  of  the  government  were 
of  course  reorganized  on  the  basis  of  the  new  source  from 
which  the  government  derived  its  power.  The  application  of 
this  process  of  transformation  to  the  Department  of  Educa- 
tion is  announced  in  the  following  Document  (No.  1),  issued 
by  the  newly  appointed  People's  Commissaire  of  Education, 
A.  V.  Lunacharsky,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  publicists 
and  scholars  of  Russia: 

DOCUMENT  No.   1 

Circular  of  the   People's   Commissaire   of   Education  to  All 
Regional  Commissioners  of  Education 

On  the  25th  of  October,  1917,  the  entire  state  power  was  taken 
over  by  the  Government  of  Workers  and  Peasants.  The  latter  has 
given  over  all  the  Ministries  to  the  People's  Commissaires.  The  Min- 
istries are  re-named  People's  Commissariats. 

The  following  Departments  of  the  People's  Commissariats  of 
Education  have  been  organized: 

1.  Universal   compulsory   education. 

2.  Autonomy  of  colleges  and  universities. 

3.  Ministerial    schools,    (until    they    are    transferred    to    munici- 
palities). 

4.  Municipal  public  schools. 

5.  Kindergarten   education  and  children's  aid. 

6.  Home   education  and   people's  universities. 

7.  Aid   to  independent   school  organizations. 

9 


8.  Scientific  Department. 

9.  Art  Departments. 

10.  Experimental  pedagogy  and  school  medicine  and  hygiene. 

11.  Financial    Department. 

12.  Technical   schools   and   polytechnical   education. 

13.  Preparation  of  a  teaching   staff. 

14.  Construction  of  new  schools. 

15.  Department  of  Literature  and  Publishing. 

16.  Statistical   Department. 

17.  Organization  Department. 

In  view  of  the  above,  you  are  instructed  to  proceed  with  the 
work  with  which  you  are  charged  in  regard  to  public  education. 
When  doubts  and  difficulties  arise  in  the  performance  of  your- duties, 
you  will  apply  for  instructions  and  explanations  to  the  People's  Com- 
missariat of  Education. 

It  is  hereby  decreed  that  all  those  who  wilfully,  and  without 
notice,  cease  to  perform  their  duties,  or  in  any  way  try  to  disorganize 
the  work  of  education,  will  be  dismissed  immediately. 

People's  Commissaire  of  Education:    A.  V.  Lunacharsky. 
Secretary:    Dm.   Letshenko. 

Published  in  the  organ  of  the  Provisional  Workers'  and  Peasants* 
Government,  .No.  21,  December  24th,  1917. 

(Note:  Each  decree  of  the  Soviet  of  Workers  and  Peasants  be- 
comes effective  and  must  be  enforced  upon  its  publication  in  the 
official  organ  of  the  government.) 

As  the  above  circular  is  dated  Dec.  24,  1917,  it  is  apparent 
that  within  two  months  after  their  accession  to  power,  the  Soviet 
had  already  outlined  an  extensive  educational  program.  The  next 
Dociiment  (No.  2)  is  a  detailed  statement  of  the  various  func- 
tions of  the  educational  departments  of  the  geographical  units 
of  the  Soviet  Republic,  in  the  form  of  a  decree,  and  of  their 
mutual  responsibilities. 

DOCUMENT  No.  2 

Decree  of  the  Workers*  and.  Peasants*  Government 

Provision  for  the  Organization  of  Popular  Education  in  the  Russian 
Socialist  Soviet  Republic. 

1.  General  direction  of  work. connected  with  popular  education 
in  the  Russian  Federated  Socialist  Soviet  Republic  is  entrusted  to  a 
State  Commission  of  Education,  whose  chairman  is.  the  People's 
Commissaire  of  Education. 

10 


2.  The  membership  of  the  State.  Commission  Is  as  follows: 

(a)  By  Appointment — Members  of  the  Commissariat's  Col- 
legium; all  department  heads  of  the  Commissariat;  the  chief  clerk  of 
the  Commissariat  and  the  secretary  of  the  State  Commission. 

(b)  Elected — Three  representatives  of  the  Central  Executive 
Committee;  three  representatives  of  professional  teachers'  organiza- 
tions accepting  the  platform  of  the  Soviet  Government;  two  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Central  Bureau  of  Trade  Unions,  one  representative 
of  the  Central  Bureau  of  Labor  Cooperatives  and  one  representative 
of  the  Central  Culture  Organization. 

(c)  In  the  Capacity  of  Representatives  of  Departments — One 
member  of  the  Commissariat  of  Education  in  charge  of  the  Bureau 
of  Nationalities  and  one  member  of  the  Supreme  Soviet  of  National 
Economy. 

Note  1.  The  right  is  reserved  for  the  delegates  of  the  People's 
Commissariat  in  charge  of  nationalities  to  invite  to  the  session  of  the 
State  Commission,  in  advisory  capacity,  a  representative  of  the 
nationality  whose  cultural  institutions  are  under  discussion  at  the 
particular  session. 

Note  2.  In  the  course  of  the  formation  of  new  regional  divi- 
sions, their  representatives,  one  from  each  region,  become  members 
of  the  State  Commission,  with  the  right  to  vote. 

Note  3.  The  State  Commission  has  also  the  right  to  augment 
its  membership  with  representatives  of  other  organizations — cultural, 
professional,  student,  etc. — in  case  these  organizations  have  a  clearly 
defined  all-Russian  character  and  accept  the  platform  of  the  Soviet 
Government. 

3.  The  management  of  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Education 
is  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  Collegium  including:  The  People's  Com- 
missaire,  his  assistant,  and  five  members. 

4.  The  People's  Commissaire  is  elected  by  the  Central  Executive 
Committee  of  the  Soviet  of  Workers',  Peasants',  Red  Guard  Army 
and  Cossacks'  Deputies;  the  assistant  of  the  People's  Commissaire 
and  the  member  of  the  Collegium  are  elected  by  the  Soviet  of 
People's  Commissaires  at  the  recommendation  of  the  People's  Com- 
missaire of  Education. 

5.  The  Collegium  appoints  directors  to  various  Departments  of 
the  Commissariat,  a  chief  clerk  of  the  Commissariat  and  a  secretary 
of  the  State  Commission  of  Education. 

6.  In  addition  to  matters  enumerated  in  other  articles  of  this 
act  the  following  duties  are  also  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State 
Commission:  The  formulation  of  a  general  plan  of  People's  Educa- 
tion in  the  Russian  Socialist  Federal  Soviet  Republic,  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  fundamental  principles  governing  the  people's  education, 
as  well  as  those  of  school  reconstruction;  the  coordination  of  cul- 
tural activities  in  the  localities;  the  drafting  of  a  budget  and  the 
distribution  of  funds  appropriated  for  common  federal  cultural  needs; 
as   well  as  other  matters  of  fundamental   significance  submitted  for 

11 


consideration     to     the     State    .Commission     by     the     Commissariat's 
Collegium. 

Note. — Individual  members  of  the  State  Commission  have  the 
right  to  demand  a  discussion  of  matters  they  consider  of  prime  im- 
portance only  in  case  their  statement  is  sustained  by  not  less  than 
one-third  of  all  the  members  of  the  Commission. 

7.  In  addition  to  matters  enumerated  in  other  articles  of  this 
statement,  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Education  has  direct  charge 
of  institutions  of  learning  and  academic  instruction  of  a  state-w^ide 
miportance,  and  passes  its  final  judgment  on  questions  and  conflicts 
arismg  between  the  various  organizations  of  educational  nature. 

8.  The  State  Commission  calls  and  convenes,  periodically,  an 
All-Russian  Congress  of  Education,  to  which  it  submits  a  report  of 
its  activity  and  to  whose  consideration  it  submits  for  discussion  ques- 
tions of  great  importance  coming  within  the  jurisdicton  of  the  State 
Commission. 

9.  An  All-Russian  Congress  of  Education  comprises:  (a)  elected 
representatives  of  Departments  and  Soviets  of  People's  Education 
from  each  province  (gubemia)  in  the  following  ratio:  One  repre- 
sentative from  each  Provincial  Department  and  Soviet;  from  all 
County  Departments  and  Soviets  of  the  province — two  from  Depart- 
ments and  two  from  the  Soviets;  from  all  Volost  Soviets  and  Depart- 
ments, also  two  from  the  Soviets  and  two  from  the  Departments  of 
each  province;  (b)  full  representation  of  the  State  Commission;  (c) 
competent  persons   in   advisory  capacity. 

10.  The  direction  of  affairs  connected  with  people's  education, 
such  as  primary  education  and  self-instruction  outside  the  academic 
walls,  with  the  exception  of  higher  education,  is  entrusted  to  Depart- 
ments of  People's  Education,  appropriately  organized  in  Executive 
Committees: — Regional,    Provincial,   County  and   Volost. 

11.  The  Soviet  of  People's  Education  functions  as  a  controlling 
and  advisory  organ  attached  to  each  Department  of  People's  Edu- 
cation. 

12.  All  Departments  and  Soviets  of  People's  Education  act 
within  boundaries  established  by  the  fundamental  laws  of  the  Re- 
public; coordinate  their  activities  in  accordance  with  enactments  of 
the  State  Commission  of  Education;  and  follow  instructions  in  this 
order:  Volost  follows  instructions  of  county;  county — of  provincial; 
and  provincial — of  regional  departments  of  People's  Education. 

13.  A  Volost  Department  of  People's  Education  consists  of 
members,  not  less  than  three  in  number,  elected  by  the  executive 
committee  of  the  Volost  Soviet  of  Workmen's  Deputies,  forming  thus 
a  Collegium. 

Note. — The  Tight  is  granted  to  a  Volost  Department  to  augment 
its  membership  by  inviting  representatives  of  settlements  and  volosts, 
in  an  advisory  capacity. 

14.  A  Volost  Department    of    People's    Education   is  entrusted 

12 


with  carrying  into  effect  the  principle  of  universal  literacy  within 
the  boundaries  of  the  particular  volost;  it  shall  organize  social  educa- 
tion and  spread  education  through  the  entire  volost  population  and 
aid  in  the  development  of  the  initiative  of  the  population  in  matters 
of  people's  education. 

15.  For  the  realization  of  aims  enumerated  in  Article  1,  the  De- 
partment of  People's  Education:  (a)  takes  all  measures  for  carrying 
into  execution  the  provisions  drafted  by  the  State  Commissions  of 
Education,  particularly  those  relating  to  a  general  program  of  edu- 
cation; (b)  has  charge  of  schools  and  cultural  and  educational  insti- 
tutions, in  conformity  with  corresponding  orders  of  the  State  Com- 
mission and  direct  instructions  of  the  County  Department  of  People's 
Education;  (c)  drafts  estimates  and  submits  them  for  approval  to  the 
County  Department  of  People's  Education,  should  a  need  arise  for 
using  county  funds;  (d)  submits  to  the  County  Department  of 
People's  Education  a  report  on  its  activity  and  state  of  affairs  in 
regard  to  people's  education,  these  reports  being  submitted  at  desig- 
nated periods,  but  not  less  than  twice  a  year;  (e)  collects  and  supervises 
statistics  of  children  of  primary  and  school  age  and  supervises  their 
school  attendance;  (f)  draws  and  supervises  lists  of  candidates  quali- 
fying for  the  position  of  a  teacher  or  director  of  institutions  of 
primary  education  and,  in  cooperation  with  the  Soviet  of  People's 
Education,  organizes  elections  of  teachers  by  the  population;  (g)  calls 
and  convenes,  at  appointed  times,  a  Volost  Soviet  of  People's  Educa- 
tion; (h)  submits  to  the  Soviet  of  People's  Education  detailed  reports 
on  its  activity  and  acquaints  the  S.  P.  E.  with  legislative  and  govern- 
mental enactments  in  their  field  . 

16.  A  Volost  Soviet  of  People's  Education  is  formed  of:  (a)  rep- 
resentatives of  all  bodies  having  the  right  to  send  delegates  to  the 
Soviet  of  Workers'  Deputies,  representations  being  the  same  as  those 
of  the  collectives  in  the  S.  W.  D.;  (b)  representatives  of  the  teaching 
staff'  and  those  of  pupils;  (c)  competent  persons  invited  in  advisory 
capacity. 

Note  1. — The  whole  number  of  members  of  the  Soviet  of  People's 
Education  elected  by  the  teachers  and  pupils  must  not  exceed  one- 
third  of  the  whole  number  of  members  of  the  S.  P.  E.,  with  the  right 
to  vote. 

17.  Sessions  of  the  Volost  Soviet  of  People's  Education  are  open. 

18.  Sessions  of  the  Volost  S.  P.  E.  are  all  held  at  least  once  a 
month. 

19.  A  Volost  Soviet  of  People's  Education  discusses  the  reports 
of  the  Supreme  Department  of  People's  Education,  analyzes  the  De- 
partment reports  on  pressing  legislative  and  other  governmental  acts 
and  discusses  the  plan  of  organization  pertaining  to  people's  education 
within  the  volost. 

21.  A  County  Department  of  People's  Education  is  formed  of 
members,  not  fewer  than  five,  elected  by  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  County's  S.  W.  D.,  thus  forming  Collegiums. 

13 


22.  A  County  Department  of  People's  Education  has  the  follow- 
ing subdivisions:  primary  education,  school  education  and  self-educa- 
tion outside  academic  walls^ — the  charge  of  which  subdivisions  may  be 
entrusted  to  specially  invited  experts  by  the  Department. 

23.  In  addition  to  matters  enumerated  in  other  articles  of  this 
provision,  a  County  Department  of  People's  Education  directs  the 
whole  business  of  People's  Education  in  the  county;  has  charge  of  all 
educational  mstitutions;  corrects  and  approves  estimates  of  Volost 
Departments  of  People's  Education,  should  a  need  arise  for  using 
county  funds;  organizes  the  provision  and  distribution  among  the 
Volost  Departments  of  the  books  and  school  appliances;  issues  in- 
structions to  Volost  Departments  of  People's  Education,  calls  and 
convenes  at  appointed  periods  County  Soviets  of  People's  Educa- 
tion, and  submits  annual  estimates  to  the  Provincial  Department  of 
People's  Education. 

24.  The  membership,  problems  and  the  order  of  business  of  a 
County  Soviet  of  People's  Education  are  to  be  determined,  within  the 
area  of  its  jurisdiction,  in  accordance  with  Articles  16,  17,  19  and  20 
of  this  Provision. 

Note  1. — A  County  Soviet  of  People's  Education  convenes  not 
less  than  once  in  two  months. 

25.  A  Provincial  Department  of  People's  Education  is  composed 
of  members,  not  less  than  seven,  elected  by  Executive  Committees  of 
the  Provincial  Soviet  of  Workers*  Deputies  and  thus  forming  a 
Collegium. 

26.  In  addition  to  matters  enumerated  in  other  articles  of  this 
Provision,  a  Provincial  Department  of  People's  Education  establishes 
institutions  of  learning,  academic  instructron  and  education  of  general 
provincial  importance;  issues  instructions  to  the  County  and  Volost 
Departments  of  People's  Education;  examines  and  approves  annual 
estimates,  submitted  by  county  departments  of  people's  education; 
submits  an  annual  estimate  to  the  Regional  Department  of  People's 
Education;  calls  periodic  conferences  of  representatives  of  County 
Departments  of  People's  Education,  as  well  as  all-provincial  con- 
gresses of  active  social  workers  for  the  promotion  of  people's  edu- 
cation; drafts  reports  on  the  state  of  afiFairs  of  people's  education  in 
the  particular  province. 

27.  The  duties  of  Provincial  Soviets  of  People's  Education  are: 
to  determine  provincial  needs  pertaining  to  education;  to  prepare  and 
develop  general  measures  for  promotion  of  education  among  the 
population  of  the  province;  to  develop  projects  on  school  reform;  to 
aid  the  Regional  Department  of  People's  Education  in  carrying  into 
execution  provisions  established  by  the  state  commission  of  educa- 
tion. 

28.  A  Regional  Soviet  of  People's  Education  is  formed  and  acts 
in  accordance  with  Articles  16,  17,  19,  20  and  24  of  this  Provision. 

Note. — Capital  cities  are  regarded  as  separate  provinces  and  are 
directly  subordinated  to  Regional  Departments. 

14 


29.  A  Regional  Department  of  People's  Education  is  composed 
of  members,  not  fewer  than  seven,  elected  by  a  Congress  of  Soviets 
of  Workmen's  Deputies  of  a  Region,  thus  forming  a  Collegium. 

'  30.  A  Regional  Department  of  People's  Education  develops  and 
approves  a  plan  of  all-regional  measures  pertaining  to  people's  edu- 
cation; systematizes  all  annual  estimates  submitted  by  the  various 
Provincial  Departments  of  People's  Education;  calls  periodic  Re- 
gional Educational  Congresses;  opens  educational  courses,  exhibi- 
tions, excursions,  etc.,  controls  the  activity  of  cultural  and  educa- 
tional institutions  within  boundaries  prescribed  by  corresponding 
legislative  enactments;  and  submits  an  annual  report  on  the  state 
of  affairs  in  the  sphere  of  people's  education  to  the  State  Commission 
of  Education'. 

Chairman    of   the    Soviet   of   People's   Commissaires, 
V.   Ulianov    (Lenin). 

Acting  People's   Commissary  of  Education,  Michael 

Pokrovsky. 
Chief  Clerk  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires, 

V.    Bonch-Bruevich. 
Correct:      Secretary  of  the  Soviet,   N.  Gorbunov. 

The  above  document  is  a  clear,  sober  set  of  rules,  suggest- 
ing anything  but  anarchy  in  the  administration  of  the  educa- 
tional system,  and  differing  fom  corresponding  laws  of  other 
countries  only  in  the  remarkable  clarity  of  the  legal 
phraseology. 

But  while  Document  No.  2  is  a  legal  paper,  giving  neces- 
sary instructions  only,  Document  No.  3,  which  follows,  is  a 
personal  expression,  by  one  of  the  educational  specialists  of 
the  Soviet  Government,  of  the  philosophy  and  purposes  of  the 
new  system.  It  is  characterized  throughout  by  a  constructive 
humanitarian  spirit. 

DOCUMENT    No.  3 

SCHOOL  REFORM 

Commissary    Lepeshinsky's    Paper,    Read   at    the    First    All- 

Russian  Congress  of  Teachers-Internationalists, 

June  2,  1918 

The  Commissariat  of  People's  Education  has  as  yet  done 
very  little  in  the  field  of  reforms  in  popular  education,  since 
this  problem  could  be  approached  intelligently  only  after  the 
removal  of  the  Commissariat  to  Moscow. 

15 


It  has  become  customary  to  accuse  the  new  Government 
of  indifference  toward  the  cultural  values  of  the  past,  and, 
particularly,  of  disrupting  the  schools.  Such  an  accusation  is 
obviously  wrong.  In  so  far  as  the  school  stands  for  wrong 
principles,  breeding  privileges  and  a  spirit  of  utilitarianism, 
and  is  a  servant  of  the  ruling  classes,  it  has  been  destroyed. 
Such  a  school  system  was  an  instrument  to  befog  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  masses  and  crippled  the  children  physically 
and  spiritually.  The  destruction  of  the  old  school  system,  as  an 
integral  part  of  the  whole  social  structure  of  the  past  was 
brought  about  not  by  a  group  of  individuals,  but'  by  the  ele- 
mental force  of  life  itself.  History  had  paved  the  way  for 
such  a  destruction,  and  it  had  become  a  pressing  necessity  of 
the  present  revolutionary  period. 

It  is,  however,  not  sufficient  to  take  notice  of  this  spon- 
taneous destruction  alone.  The  revolutionary  classes  of  so- 
ciety, particularly  their  more  advanced  upper  strata,  their 
leading  elements,  must  introduce  into  these  elemental  pro- 
cesses a  maximum  of  intelligence  and  system.  First,  a  surgi- 
cal application  is  needed  to  remove  all  useless  remnants  of 
the  past;  yet,  creative  activity  is  also  needed,  although  it 
perhaps  will,  of  necessity,  be  slow  and  cautious  to  begin  with. 
The  school  has  ceased  to  be  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of 
the  exploiting  classes ;  with  the  people's  victory  it  has  in  real- 
ity become  a  people's  school.  And  now  the  Commissariat  of 
Education  is  busily  engaged  in  transferring  it  into  the  hands 
of  the  people's  government — the  Soviet  organs. 

The  school  no  longer  needs  teachers  who  simply  are 
office  holders,  teachers  appointed  from  above,  teachers  de- 
tached from  the  people.  Our  Commissariat  emphasizes  this 
circumstance  and  suggests  the  principle  of  electing  teachers 
by  local  organs  created  by  the  population  itself. 

The  school  has  ceased  to  be  a  source  of  privileges  based 
on  other  values  than  intellect  and  knowledge.  The  Commis- 
sariat, therefore,  is  taking  prompt  action  to  abolish  diplomas 
and  certificates  conferring  all  sorts  of  privileges  on. persons 
graduated  from  various  branches  of  academic  training. 

The  old  school  system  was  not  a  channel  of  education 
but  an  instrument  for  obscuring  the  mind  of  the  people.  The 
revolution  has  swept  away  this  school  system.    Governmental 

16 


activity  has  brought  new  problems  before  the  school.  Our 
Commissariat,  as  an  educational  center,  is  engaged,  as  a  first 
step,  in  freeing  the  school  from  church  influences  and  en- 
croachments— the  separation  of  the  school  from  the  church. 

These  first  steps  are  only  the  beginnings  of  the  task.  Be- 
fore us  is  still  a  long  path  of  a  tremendous  and  prolonged 
creative  work  of  organization  which  shall  ultimately  give  to 
the  people  the  school  they  need  in  this  period  of  reconstruct- 
ing life  on  a  new  basis — in  the  period  of  the  international 
struggle  of  the  proletariat  for  Socialism. 

Having  this  task  in  mind  the  Commissariat  sounded  a  call 
inviting  learned  and  practical  individuals,  people  of  extensive 
pedagogic  training,  to  participate  in  this  task.  The  Commis- 
sariat of  People's  Education  has  opened  wide  the  doors  to  all 
who  would  and  could  help.  Something  has  already  been  done 
in  this  direction.  Recently  we  created  at  the  Commissariat 
of  People's  Education  an  educators'  advisory  board  which  in 
turn  was  subdivided  into  a  number  of  sub-committees,  these 
latter  conducting  a  preliminary  campaign  in  favor  of  school 
reform  and  gradually  formulating  concrete  problems,  the  so- 
lution of  which  should  determine  the  substance  of  our  activ- 
ity of  school-organization. 

Our  conception  of  a  school  is  one  from  which  religious 
services  and  teachings  are  absolutely  barred.  Secondly,  a 
people's  general  education  school  must  be  •  compulsory  and 
accessible  to  all,  regardless  of  sex  and  social  distinctions;  it 
must  be  a  school  where  tuition,  books,  etc.,  are  free;  and, 
lastly,  we  conceive  of  the  new  school  as  a  labor  unit.  The 
school  must  be  homogeneous  in  the  sense  that  it  is  of  uniform 
type,  with  a  definite  minimum  amount  of  instruction — in  the 
sense  of  uniformity  of  aims  and  problems  grouped  between 
two  chief  centers  of  gravitation — and  in  the  producing  of  an 
harmonious  individual  with  regard  to  his  social  development; 
and,  finally,  in  the  sense  of  establishing  an  organized  connec- 
tion between  the  various  school  grades  and  unimpeded  pro- 
motion of  students  from  lower  grades  to  higher. 

The  principles  underlying  the  development  of  the  school, 
as  a  labor  unit,  can  be  summarized  thus: 

1.     An   early   fusion   of   productive   labor  with   academic 

17 


instruction  is  the  mightiest  weapon  in  the  task  of  reconstruct- 
ing modern  society. 

2.  The  technology  of  the  present  mode  of  production  de- 
mands an  all-round  development  of  the  individual,  who  must 
possess  the  ability  to  work  and  be  equipped  with  polytechnic 
knowledge  for  various  industrial  fields.  Therefore,  a  school 
of  general  science  must  assume  the  character  of  a  polytechnic 
(vocational)  school,  while  specialization  and  professionalism 
are  outside  the  scope  of  the  general  science  school  and  are 
the  problems  of  the  higher  schools,  or  of  educational  training 
outside  academic  walls. 

3.  Manual  labor  must  form  an  integral  element  of  school 
life;  all  school  children  must  participate  in  productive  labor. 
The  useful  results  of  such  labor  should  be  made  obvious  to  the 
students,  having  for  its  object  either  the  direct  creation  of 
useful  articles  of  consumption  (chiefly  for  the  needs  of  the 
particular  school),  or  the  performance  of  productive  labor 
which  on]"  ultimately  creates  material  blessings,  as  for 
example,  caring  for  cleanliness,  hygienic  conditions  of  life  in 
schools,  etc. 

4.  The  school  becomes  a  productive  commune,  i.  e.,  both 
a  producing  and  consuming  body  based  on  the  following 
principles,  guiding  the  social  education  of  children : 

a)  the  principle  of  school  autonomy  and  collective  self- 
determination  in -the  process  of  mental  and  manual  labor; 

b)  the  principle  of  satisfying  all  the  children's  needs  by 
the  children  themselves ; 

c)  the  organization  of  social,  mental  endeavor  (scientific 
bodies,  magazines,  collective  work,  etc.). 

5.  The  school  must  offer  the  widest  possible  opportuni- 
ties for  the  full  play  and  development  of  the  creative  forces 
of  the  child.  To  accomplish  this,  the  child  must  be  reared 
amidst  surroundings  favorable  to  its  mental  and  physical 
capacity,  the  presence  of  which  should  favor  the  greatest  pos- 
sible harmonious  development  of  the  child's  body  and  soul. 
Essential   prerequisites  hereof  are : 

a)  Self-activity  of  children  in  various  fields  of  school-life, 
their  independence  and  initiative  while  at  work  and  a  spirit 
of  self-reliance  in  matters  of  everyday  routine; 

18 


b)  introduction  of  an  educational  system  stimulating  the 
creative  forces  of  the  child ; 

c)  artistic  activity,  as  the  chief  element  in  the  child's 
esthetic  development,  guiding  the  passive  emotional  processes 
of  its  spiritual  life. 

6.  The  methods  in  the  child's  bringing-up  and  in  the  edu- 
cational training  of  children  are  to  change  their  former  char- 
acter in  accordance  with  the  new  problems  of  the  school. 
Attention  in  the  matter  of  children's  education  should  chiefly 
aim  to  bring  up  a  human  being,  as  a  social  creature,  and  to 
produce  an  understanding  of  social  labor:  first,  a-t  the  present 
time;  then — labor  in  past  human  history;  and,  last,  labors 
problems  in  the  near  future.  There  ought  to  exist  a  direct 
organic  connection  between  the  educational  mental  "Work  in 
the  school  and  the  element  of  productive  labor.  Educational 
training  is  to  be  conducted  in  full  conformity  with  the  latest 
discoveries  in  psychology,  physiology  and  pedagogy,  and  in 
particular — in  the  direction  from  the  known  to  the  unknown, 
from  the  concrete  to  the  abstract. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  people  should  receive  a  graded 
knowledge,  and  this  can  be  made  possible  only  when  the  child 
will  be  attached  to  the  school  for  a  considerable  length  of 
time.  It  is  urgent  to  create  conditions  whereby  the  majority 
of  children  of  school  age  should  be  forced  to  pass  a  long 
course  of  instruction.  Compulsory  schools  exist  in  many 
countries,  why  not  here  in  Russia? 

We  ought  not  be  afraid  that  there  will  be  a  lack  of  schools, 
and  of  teachers :  we  will  gradually  introduce  an  extensive  edu- 
cational course  and  accelerate  the  formation  of  a  teaching 
force. 

All  persons  favorably  disposed  towards  this  cause  should 
be  recruited ;  we  must  also  widely  propagate  our  ideas,  arid, 
with  this  object  in  view,  are  beginning  to  publish  our  infor- 
mation bulletins  on  school  reform  work.  These  bulletins  we 
shall  freely  circulate  throughout  Russia.  However,  what  is 
most  needed  is  not  merely  world-propaganda,  but  deeds. 
With  this  object  the  Commissariat  of  Education  is  organizing 
experimental  schools.  It  would  be  an  error  to  assume  that 
here,  in  the  capitals,  there  is  a  tendency  to  introduce  bureau- 
cratic methods  in  the  management  of  the  schools.    We  wish 

19 


to  impose  nothing  on  the  people,  and  when  we  draw  up  cer- 
tain plans,  it  is  chiefly  because  the  population  itself,  in  the 
person  of  its  organs  of  local  social  administrative  units,  re- 
quires from  us  a  general  outline  and  suggestions. 


The  next  Document,  No.  4,  shows  a  serious  desire  on  the 
p^rt  of  the  Soviet  Government  to  provide  teachers  with  ample 
and  more  or  less  uniform  compensation.  It  is  only  in  the 
light  of  such  authentic  documents  that  prejudiced  utterances 
like  those  of  Dr.  Alessandro  H.  Carasso,  in  the  Sunday  Times 
Magazine  Section  of  March  2,  1919,  can  be  appraised  at  their 
true  worth. 

DOCUMENT  No.  4 

Regulation    of    the    Soviet    of    People'si    Commissaires    Con- 
cerning Standard  Remuneration  for  Teachers'  Labors 

The  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires  decrees: 

1.  To  establish  a  monthly  remuneration  for  teachers,  taking  as 
a  standard  length  of  a  working  day  four  school  hours  a  day  (24  hours 
or  lessons  a  week). 

2.  Pending  the  establishment  of  a  united  school  system,  to  pre- 
serve remuneration  on  the  basis  of  yearly  hours  in  secondary  schools 
and  wherever  such  remuneration  has  hitherto  been  in  practice.  In 
primary  and  higher  schools,  seminaries,  etc.,  where  monthly  payment 
has  been  in  force,  such  payments  shall  continue  to  be  in  force  for 
teachers  occupied  with  four  hours  of  school  work  a  day  (24  hours  a 
week). 

3.  Classification  of  teachers  into  "regularly  appointed,"  "un- 
attached," "substitutes,"  etc.,  is  abolished, 

4.  All  teachers  (regardless  of  the  particular  subject  taught,  in- 
cluding instructors  of  music,  singing,  domestic  arts,  manual  labor  and 
physical  exercises)  shall  receive  a  remuneration  for  their  school  labor 
on  the  basis  of  common  standard  pay  and  have  equal  pension  rights. 

5.  Up  to  July  1,  1918,  the  same  basis  of  remuneration  shall  be 
applied  to  lessons  given  above  the  prescribed  24  hours'  standard. 

Note. — An  increase  of  the  number  of  lessons  above  the  standard 
for  individual  teachers  shall  be  made  in  each  single  case  in  accordance 
with  a  special  regulation  of  the  Department  of  Public  Education  at- 
tached to  the  local  Soviet  of  Workers'  Deputies. 

6.  Remuneration  of  the  labor  of  chairmen  of  pedagogic  coun- 
cils, up  to  July  1,  1918,  shall  be  adjusted  to  a  remuneration  on  the 
basis  of  12  yearly  hours;  vice-chairmen  and  members  of  administrative 

20 


and  executive  committees — six  yearly  hours;  secretaries  of  pedagogic 
council  and  librarians  and  also  clerks  and  bookkeepers  of  schools, 
school  superintendents — six  yearly  hours;  assistant  school  superin- 
tendents Oadies'  school  superintendents  not  in  boarding  schools) — 
18  yearly  hours;  instructors  and  ladies'  school  superintendents  of 
boarding  schools — 24  yearly  hours. 

7.  An  additional  remuneration  of  labor  in  preparation  of  labora- 
tory work  shall  be  made  to  the  extent  of  20  per  cent,  of  a  yearly  hour; 
remuneration  of  labor  in  correcting  written  tests  shall  be  made  to 
the  extent  of  10  per  cent,  of  a  yearly  hour;  modern  and  ancient  lan- 
guages— 10  per  cent;  Russian  language  and  mathematics — 15  per  cent. 

8.  All  living  quarters,  occupied  by  virtue  of  service,  shall  be  paid 
for  by  the  occupants,  the  amounts  being  fixed  by  respective  depart- 
ments of  the  Soviets  of  Workmen's,  Soldiers*  and  Peasants'  Deputies. 

9.  The  duties  of  a  clerk  and  bookkeeper  at  non-boarding  schools 
shall  be  executed  by  one  person. 

Note. — Two  positions  fused  into  one  shall  be  allowed  to  be 
filled  by  one  person  only  by  special  permission  from  a  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Education  attached  to  the  local  Soviets  of  Work- 
men's, Soldiers'  and   Peasants'   Deputies. 

10.  The  technical  personnel  shall  be  remunerated  in  accordance 
with  a  decree  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires. 

11.  The  following  rule  applies  to  teachers  serving  above  the 
fixed  term:  every  five  years  a  raise  of  600  rubles  a  year  shall  be  paid 
to  teachers  having  not  less  than  six  yearly  hours  in  all  schools,  this 
raise  being  paid  not  longer  than  for  four  consecutive  periods. 

12.  New  standards  of  payments  shall  be  in  force  beginning 
March  1,  1918,  two  categories  being  adopted  for  this  purpose. 

13.  To  the  first  category  belong: 

(a)  all  secondary  schools,  and 

(b)  all  higher  grammar,  technical,  trades,  agricultural  schools, 
teachers'  seminaries,  normal  schools  and  instructors  of  school  and 
school-administration  work. 

14.  To  the  second  category  belong:  lower  grammar,  trades,  lower 
agricultural  schools  and  instructors  for  kindergarten  training. 

Note  to  Articles  13  and  14. 

The  difference  between  the  aforesaid  remuneration  scale  and  that 
of  the  actually  received  salary  shall  be  paid  to  persons  of  the  teachers' 
personnel,  described  in  Articles  13  and  14,  beginning  March  1,  and  the 
rest,  beginning  June  1. 

Note  2  to  Articles  13  and  14. 

Persons  leaving  service  before  publication  of  said  decree  shall 
forfeit  their  pension  rights. 

15.  Monthly  salaries  to  persons  of  the  first  category  shall  range 

21 


from  600  to  400  rubles  at  Petrograd  and  Moscow,  and  for  the  second 
category— from  500  to  300. 

16.  Present  remunerations  likewise  apply  to  private  schools 
having  the  same  governmental  rights. 

Chairman    of    the    Soviet    of    People's     Commissaires, 

V.   Ulianov    (Lenin). 
Chief  Clerk,  V.  Bonch-Bruevich. 
Secretary   of    the    Soviet    of    People's    Commissaires, 

N.    Gorbunov. 

As  an  example,  one  of  many,  to  show  the  operation  of  the 
Soviet  principle  in  the  educational  matters  of  portions  of  the 
country,  the  following  document  (Document  No.  5)  will  illus- 
trate the  methods  of  the  Presidium  of  the  Moscow  Soviet  of 
Workers'  Deputies. 

DOCUMENT   No.   5 

Regulation    of    the    Presidium    of    the    Moscow    Soviet    of 
Workmen's     Deputies,    Dated    May    15th,    1918 

Concerning  organization   of  a   Section   of  People's   Education. 

Supplementing  the  regulation  of  the  Presidium  of  the  M.  S.  W.  D. 
of  May  11th,  the  following  rulings  have  been  adopted: 

1.  The  Section  of  People's  Education  of  the  Moscow  Soviet  of 
Workmen's  Deputies  is  an  organ  unifying  and  directing  the  activities 
of  all  cultural-educational  and  artistic-educational  institutions,  except- 
ing those  which  have  a  State-wide  importance. 

Therefore  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Section  extends  not  merely  over 
institutions  directly  subsidized  by  the  Soviet,  but  also  over  those  be- 
longing to  private  individuals  and  bodies. 

2.  The  Section  is  headed  by  a  collegium  appointed  by  the  Mos- 
cow S.  W.  D,,  with  a  membership  of  5  persons  and  2  candidates. 

3.  The  Section  is  divided  into  3  sub-sections:  (a)  school,  (b) 
artistic-educational,  and   (c)   educational  institutions. 

In  turn  the  sub-sections  have  the  following  sub-divisions:  (a) 
school  section — pre-school,  elementary  school;  secondary  and  higher 
vocational  education;  courses  for  adults  and  youths;  sanitary  science 
schools,  and  auxiliary  institutions  (museums,  objects  for  school 
accommodations,  moving  pictures  and  courses  for  instructors,  etc.) ; 
artistic-educational — theatre,  music  and  plastic  arts;  (b)  educational 
sub-section — libraries,  clubs   and  people's  houses. 

The  above  mentioned  list  of  sub-sections,  sections  and  sub-divi- 
sions  is   not   necessarily   an   exhaustive   one:   new   sub-divisions   and 

22 


sections  may  be  formed  to  meet  a  new  demand,  depending  upon  the 
specialization  and  development  of  the  undertaking. 

4.  An  advisory  board,  w^hich  includes  representatives  from  all 
sub-sections  and  divisions,  is  established  at  the  Collegium,  and  all 
questions  involving  the  jurisdiction  of  two  or  more  sub-sections  or 
divisions,  as  well  as  questions  the  Collegium  may  deem  it  necessary 
to  discuss,  are  submitted  to  the  board  for  approval. 

5.  There  is  also  established  at  the  Collegium  an  advisory  organ 
— a  Soviet  of  collegiates'  representatives  in  charge  of  people's  educa- 
tion from  regional  Soviets  of  Workmen's  Deputies;  representatives 
of  the  Soviet,  sub-sections  and  divisions,  and  in  case  of  absence  of 
such — representatives  of  workers  from  a  given  branch  of  activity, 
directors  of  sections,  representatives  of  workmen's  organizations — 
Central  Labor  Co-operative  and  Central  Bureau  of  trade  unions. 

6.  An  advisory  organ  is  established  at  each  sub-section — a  Soviet 
which  includes  representatives  from  regional  sections  (one  from 
each),  directors  of  divisions  comprising  the  sub-section  and  those 
selected  from  the  reserve. 

7.  Similar  Soviets  are  established  at  various  sections  compris- 
ing representatives  from  regional  Soviets  of  Workmen's  Deputies, 
representatives  of  workers  from  various  branches  of  activities, 
directors  of  divisions  and  sub-divisions  and  those  selected  by  prefer- 
ence from  the  reserve;  for  sections  insufficiently  developed,  in  place  of 
Soviets,  it  is  permissible  to  establish  committees  elected  by  the  Soviet 
of  the  sub-section. 

8.  All  these  Soviets  work  regularly,  meeting  on  appointed  dates. 
Besides,  twice  or  thrice  a  year  a  general  meeting  of  all  Soviets,  sec- 
tions, sub-sections  and  branches,  is  called  for  discuss'on  of  questions 
of  principle  relating  to  organization  of  educational  work  among  the 
people  in  the  cities. 

9.  Direct  supervision  of  current  work  of  sub-divisions  and  divi- 
sions is  divided  between  the  members  of  Collegiums  and  officials 
especially  invited   by   the    Collegium. 

10.  Detailed  definition  of  the  jurisdiction  of  each  sub-section  and 
sections  is  determined  by  rules  of  institutions,  drawn  up  by  the  Col- 
legium. 

11.  Similar  branches  of  people's  education  are  organized  in  dif- 
ferent localities,  with  corresponding  sub-sections  and  divisions,  in 
accordance  with  an  instruction  drawn  up  by  the  section  in  charge 
of  people's  education. 

12.  Direct  supervision  of  cultural-educational  institutions  is 
divided  between  the  capitals  and  the  provinces  to  correspond  with 
the  regional  or  municipal  importance  of  an  institution. 

13.  Further  changes  in  the  present  organization,  as  for  instance: 
establishment  of  new  sub-sections  and  divisions,  or  changing  the 
jurisdiction   of  those  already  existing,  can  be   introduced  only  after 

23 


they  have  been  approved  by  the  presidium  of  the  Moscow  Soviet  of 
vVorkmen's  Deputies. 

The    following   list    of   names    of   the    comrades    comprising   the 
section  of  people's  education  has  been  approved  by  the  presidium: 

1.  M.  N.  Pokrovsky 

2.  A.  J.  Piskunov 

3.  S.  J.   Mitzkovitch 

4.  V.  P.  Obuch 

5.  V.  M.  Fritche 
Candidates : 

1.  P.   M.   Lebedev-Kepzhentzev 

2.  Kazarov. 

Presidium  of  the  Moscow  Soviet  of  Workers*  Deputies. 


Documents  No.  6  and  7  show  that  the  efforts  of  the  Soviet 
Government  to  train  the  population  are  by  no  means  limited 
to  the  children  of  the  country,  but  extend  to  able-bodied 
workers,  men  and  women,  as  well. 

DOCUMENT   No.   6 

An    Appeal    by    the    Section    of    Independent    Proletarian 
Cultural-Educational  Organizations  in  the  Commissariat 
of  People's  Education 
Comrades : — 

A  section  of  independent  cultural-educational  proletarian 
organizations  ("Proletcult")  has  been  established,  attached 
to  the  Commissariat  of  People's  Education. 

The  object  of  this  Section  is  the  creation  of  a  mighty  All- 
Russian  organization  which  would  unite,  support  and  direct 
the  cultural-educational  beginnings  of  all  labor  organizations. 

Amidst  the  hard  trials  and  desperate  struggles  of  the  past 
year,  the  Russian  worker  has  manifested  a  mighty  desire  for 
knowledge  and  creativeness. 

The  workmen-peasants'  government  feels  it  to  be  its 
bounden  duty  to  respond  to  this  desire. 

To  help  the  worker  in  his  endeavor  to  free  himself  from 

24 


the  humiliating  shackles  of  ignorance  and  darkness;  to  sur- 
round with  care  and  comfort  his  few  leisure  hours  and  to 
bring  light  and  clearness  to  his  understanding  of  Socialism — 
this  is  the  immediate  problem  facing  the  Section.  To  clear 
the  road  towards  culture  for  the  worker  and  help  him  to  be- 
come a  master  in  the  field  in  which  he  heretofore  has  been 
only  a  casual  visitor — this  is  the  ultimate  goal. 

Our  Section  begins  its  activity  under  most  trying  circum- 
stances. 

Universal  illiteracy,  unemployment  and  hunger  reign 
throughout  the  whole  country. 

We  begin  the  task  with  small  means  at  our  disposal,  with 
lack  of  workers  qualified  for  such  an  undertaking. 

The  problems  that  are  facing  us  are  great,  responsible  and 
pressing. 

But  we  believe  that  the  forces  which  will  come  to  our 
assistance  are  also  great. 

For  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  progress  of  cultural- 
educational  activity  of  all  labor  organizations  of  Russia  we 
are  sending  out  a  questionnaire.  It  will  help  us  to  regulate 
expediently  our  material  means  and  discover  the  needs,  re- 
quirements and  immediate  problems  of  labor  organizations. 
In  the  near  future  we  shall  hold  at  Moscow  a  Pan-Russian 
cultural-educational  conference,  and  we  are  about  to  start 
publishing  a  magazine  devoted  especially  to  questions  of  pro- 
letarian culture.  We  ask  the  comrades  to  send  us  articles, 
stories,  verses  and  every  sort  of  literary  material  for  this 
magazine,  as  well  as  for  an  Almanach  which  we  shall  also 
publish.  We  are  producing  a  standard  catalogue  for  work- 
men's libraries,  and  we  will  exert  all  our  efforts  in  order  that 
the  bookstore  (soon  to  be  opened  at  the  Commissariat  of 
People's  Education)  should  have  a  sufficient  number  of  re- 
quired books.  Upon  first  request  we  shall  send  these  books 
to  labor  organizations.  Courses  on  workmen's  control  and 
trade-union  movement  have  just  been  opened  in  Moscow. 

We  intend  to  elaborate  and  publish  all  lectures  to  be  held 
there  and  circulate  them  through  far-distant  provincial  towns 
and  cities  where  the  organization  of  such  courses  is  attended 
with  many  difficulties.    Trained  specialist-workers  are  needed 

25 


for  a  wide  and  serious  organization  of  the  cultural-educa- 
tional undertakings.  Undoubtedly  there  are  in  the  provinces 
comrades  who,  with  love  and  interest,  will  set  themselves  to 
this  task,  after  having  been  trained  in  this  direction. 

Therefore  we  are  anxious  now  to  open  in  Moscow  courses 
for  instructors. 

This  is  the  programme  of  our  immediate  activities.  With 
the  greatest  attention  and  gratitude  we  will  listen  to  all  sug- 
gestions from  comrades.  Only  through  the  latter's  responsive 
attitude  and  active  support  can  we  hope  to  grapple  with  the 
tremendous  problems  facing  us. 

Section  of  "Proletcult." 

DOCUMENT    No.    7 
Schools  for  Workmen 

(A  News  Item,  from  a  Russian  newspaper) 

The  cultural-educational  section  of  the  Soviet  of  Railroad 
Workers'  Deputies  sent  out  a  statement  to  railroad  organiza- 
tions regarding  the  opening  of  a  school  of  drawing,  painting, 
designing,  mathematics  and  modeling,  attached  to  the  section 
of  graphic  arts  of  the  Proletcult,  and  open  with  free  tuition 
to  such  as  are  admitted.  Admission  to  the  school  is  only  for 
workers  and  their  children. 


Much  has  been  said  boastfully  in  our  country  of  our  great 
system  of  popular  education,  and,  in  spite  of  the  many  other 
disadvantages  to  which  our  proletarians  have  been  subjected, 
it  may  be  admitted  that  a  certain  rudimentary  education  has 
always  been  rather  well  conducted  in  America.  But  the  gates 
to  higher  institutions  have  been  closed  to  all  but  the  wealthy, 
not  only  by  the  general  conditions  of  life,  which  have  not 
afforded  the  leisure  for  higher  study  to  the  great  masses  of  the 
population,  but  also  by  high  tuition  fees,  which  have  made  the 
barrier  still  more  insurmountable.  How  the  Russians  now 
decide  the  fee  question,  even  for  higher  institutions,  is  the 
subject  of  Document  No.  8. 

26 


DOCUMENT   No.   8 

Regulation     Concerning     Admission    to     a     Higher     School 

(University)  of  the  Russian  Socialist  Federative 

Soviet   Republic 

1.  Every  person,  regardless  of  citizenship  and  sex,  reaching  the 
age  of  16,  can  be  admitted  as  a  member  of  the  student  body  to 
any  of  the  higher  institutions  of  learning  without  submitting  a 
diploma  or  testimonial  papers  attesting  graduation  from  a  secondary 
or  other  school. 

2.  It  is  forbidden  to  demand  from  persons  seeking  entrance  any 
certificates  whatsoever,  except  their  identification  papers. 

3.  All  school  institutions  of  the  Republic,  in  conformity  with 
the  decree  on  joint  instruction,  dated  May  27,  1918,  are  thrown  open 
to  all,  regardless  of  sex.  All  persons  responsible  for  violating  this 
decree  shall  be  tried  by  the  Revolutionary  Tribunal. 

4.  Admissions  of  students  (freshmen  for  the  1918-1919  course) 
already  made  on  the  basis  of  either  school  certificates  or  competitive 
examinations,  are  hereby  declared  void.  New  entrance  conditions  in 
accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  general  provision  on  the 
higher  schools  of  the  Republic,  now  in  course  of  preparation,  shall 
be  published  not  later  than  September  1,  1918. 

5.  Tuition  fees  in  higher  educational  institutions  of  the  Russian 
Socialist  Federative  Soviet  Republic  are  henceforth  abolished.  Tui- 
tion fees  already  paid  for  the  first  half  of  the  academic  year  1918-1919 
shall  be  refunded  accordingly. 

Chairman  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires,  V.  Ulianov 

(Lenin) 

Acting  People's   Commissaire   of   Education,   Pokrovsky, 
Chief  Clerk  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires,  V.  Bonch- 

Bruevich, 
Secretary  of  the  Soviet,  N.  Gorbunov. 

The  teaching  body  in  Russia  now  holds  frequent  conven- 
tions and  congresses,  and  expresses  itself  freely  on  the  con- 
duct of  the  schools,  a  condition  of  affairs  that  will  arouse  the 
envy  of  their  American  colleagues.  And  their  deliberations 
consequently  show  a  depth  of  appreciation  of  the  problems 
set  before  them  such  as  is  rarely  found  among  American 
teachers.  Document  No.  9  shows  how  idealistic  and  yet  how 
profoundly  practical  are  the  ambitions  of  the  Russian  school 
teachers.  This  document  is  in  the  form  of  a  resolution  passed 
at  a  congress  of  teachers  in  Moscow,  on  June  6,  1918. 

27 


DOCUMENT    No.   9 

Declaration  of  Principles  of  a  Socialist  School 

At  the  All-Russian  Congress  of  Teachers-Internationalists, 
held  in  Moscow  on  June  6,  1918,  there  was  discussed  and 
adopted  a  declaration  of  principles  of  a  Socialist  school,  which 
runs  as  follows : 

1.  Socialism — is  a  maximum  imaginable  realization  for 
our  epoch  in  the  collective  life  of  humanity,  of  an  intelligently 
directed  coordination  of  labor — mental,  physical,  organizing 
and  executive. 

2.  Within  this  organization  of  labor,  the  best  possible 
system  of  organization  of  knowledge,  as  the  best  means  of 
cultural  development,  is  a  uniform  secular  school,  with  free 
tuition,  and  compulsory  for  all  children  and  youths,  a  working 
school  based  on  the  principle  of  self-reliance  and  self-activity. 

3.  The  object  of  such  a  school  is  to  pass  each  individual, 
regardless  of  his  natural  endowments,  through  a  complete 
cycle  of  knowledge — beginning  with  general  educational  work 
in  the  primary  stages  of  the  school  and  progressively  advanc- 
ing towards  specialization  in  the  higher  and  final  stages. 

4.  In  a  society  of  toilers  the  task  of  caring  for  children  is 
the  duty  of  its  members  from  the  moment  determined  by 
science.  Therefore,  the  infants  are  taken  in  charge  of  com- 
munal nurseries;  young  children — by  the  so-called  ''kinder- 
gartens"; children  of  primary  school  age — by  the  school- 
communes;  and  youths — by  a  free  university. 

5.  A  school-commune — where  instructions  are  of  a 
greater  duration  as  compared  with  other  schools,  aspiring  to 
realize  the  ideal  of  synthetic  knowledge  and  harmonious  so- 
cial intercourse  within  its  inner  organization — must  serve  as  a 
laboratory  for -the  preparation  of  those  social  forms  which  are 
most  appropriate  for  the  contemporary  cultural  epoch. 

6.  The  function  of  the  State — which  in  the  past  was 
omnipotent  and  pursued  the  policy  of  subjugation  of  society 
and  domination  over  it  through  school  institutions — now  be- 
comes simpler  and  more  dignified :  from  a  despot  over  science 
the    State    becomes    its    protector,    desirable — during    the    first 

28 


period   of   child-caring — and   necessary,    for    the   higher    stages 
of  the  educational  system. 

7.  The  struggle  for  existence  in  primitive  days — trans- 
formed in  our  epoch  to  a  struggle  of  classes,  and  within  some 
classes  to  a  struggle  of  individuals,  demanding  subjugation  of 
one  person  by  another — must  be  changed  into  an  organized 
cooperation  for  making  nature  follow  the  commands  of  man, 
and  for  the  attainment  of  new  truths.  Acquaintance  with  the 
most  essential  of  sciences,  complete  familiarization  with  the  tech- 
nique of  one  or  several  of  the  sciences  contributing  towards 
making  a  human  being  most  adapted  for  directing  functions — 
within  the  sphere  of  its  special  endeavors  and  executive  in  all 
the  rest. 

8.  The  circumstances  attending  the  modern  transition 
period,  financial  and  organizing  difficulties,  limit,  to  a  certain 
extent,  the  practical  application  of  the  principle  of  equality  of 
education.  Hence,  a  selection  is  necessary. 

9.  Whereas  the  old  pseudo-individualistic  school  of  the 
nobility  and  bourgeoisie  had  applied  in  its  systems  of  educa- 
tion the  principle  of  selection  in  accordance  with  economic 
qualifications,  namely,  purchasing  a  maximum  of  knowledge, 
only  partially  elaborating  the  latter  for  its  class  aims,  by  a 
selection  of  the  most  capable  individuals — the  new  socialistic 
school  unequivocally  denies  such  qualifications. 

10.  On  the  contrary,  with  inflexible  consistency,  includ- 
ing that  of  denying  to  the  rich,  but  incapable  individuals 
accessibility  to  higher  education — the  new  school  applies 
selection  on  the  principle  of  intellectual  ability. 

11.  With  the  object  of  a  rational  utilization  of  special 
abilities,  having  constantly  in  view  the  most  intensive  devel- 
opment of  the  productive  forves  of  the  socialist  fatherland,  the 
school — uniform  in  its  primary  stages — becomes  more  com- 
plex in  its  structure  as  it  advances  and  is  finally  crowned  by 
a  number  of  special  faculties. 

12.  Likewise,  the  essential  principle  of  the  socialistic 
school — the  principle  of  productive  endeavors,  which  destroys 
the  bourgeois  conception  of  the  two  would-be  contradictory 
forms  of  labor — mental  and  manual,  high  and  contemptible — 
assumes  in  the  first  stages  a  polytechnic  character  and  grad- 

29 


iially  changes  it  to  a  special  scientific  instruction,  in  the  higher 
stages. 

13.  Whereas  the  old  school  was  ever  national  and 
chauvinistic  in  character,  the  new  school  must  be,  in  form 
and  substance,  a  true  national  school — instructions  conducted 
in  the  mother  tongue,  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  home 
country's  physical  and  social  conditions — but  it  must  also  be  an 
international  school  as  regards  principles  and  methods. 

14.  Striving  towards  a  harmonious  synthesis  of  a  broad 
educational  culture  with  a  thoroughgoing  vocational  training, 
educating  the  students  in  the  spirit  of  the  internation  il 
solidarity  of  labor,  only  the  socialist  school  has  the  right  to  say 
that  it  does  not  turn  a  human  being  out  a  skilled  laborer  but 
creates  a  man. 

He  5|t  * 

Document  No.  9  shows  how  the  teacher  has  been  stimu- 
lated to  take  a  real  interest  in  the  school  work,  in  its  curricu- 
lum, and  in  the  ultimate  welfare  of  the  children,  a  thing  which, 
under  capitalist  society,  it  may  be  frankly  said  he  never  does. 
But  not  only  is  the  teacher  made  into  a  real  teacher  by  the 
Soviet  methods,  but  janitors,  firemen,  and  other  school  em- 
ployees are  to  have  their  tasks  dignified  and  rendered  less 
sordid  by  actual  pleasant  and  official  contact  with  the  student 
body.  The  article  by  A.  Okunkoff,  which  is  printed  as  Docu- 
ment No.  10,  is  from  the  pen  of  a  specialist  in  education,  and 
deals  specifically  with  the  question :  **How  shall  the  janitor 
be  made  a  human  being,  instead  of  a  tyrant  over  teachers  and 
pupils,  as  in  America?" 

From  "Narodnoye  Prosvieschenye"   (People's  Education)   Issue 

No.   10. 

DOCUMENT    No.  10 

The  Workers'   School  and  the  School  Servants 

By  A.  Okunkoff 

The  old  school  system,  which  is  now  departing  into  the  sphere 
of  oblivion,  was  a  reflex  of  the  dominant  class  relations  and, 
therefore,  the  economic  system  of  the  school  and,  in  particular, 
of  the  town  school,  even  in  its  details,  moved  largely  along  the 

30 


lines  of  the  economic  system  of  the  present-day  family  institu- 
tion. The  contemporary  middle  bourgeois  family  of  a  city 
teaches  a  child,  even  from  earliest  infancy,  to  use  paid  services, 
the  services  of  the  domestic  servants,  the  number  of  whom 
depends  on  the  wealth  of  the  parents.  Nurses,  maid  servants, 
dishwashers,  porters,  and  all  other  kinds  of  domestic  servants 
train  the  mind  of  the  children,  from  the  very  cradle,  to  the 
stability  and  the  righteousness  of  an  order  of  life  in  which  the 
•exploitation  of  other  people's  work  is  considered  the  necessary 
and  natural  addition  to  the  comforts  of  existence.  The  children, 
after  leaving  such  a  home  environment  for  the  school,  find  here 
the  same  ranks  of  servants  performing  almost  the  same  duties 
as  in  the  family  circle.  The  porters  undressing  the  children 
and  keeping  their  coats  and  dresses,  men  servants  and  nurses 
cleaning  the  rooms,  scrubbers  looking  after  the  cleanliness  of 
the  floors,  couriers  running  on  errands,  janitors  and  stokers — all 
these  people,  who  are  working  in  the  school,  appear  to  the  chil- 
dren to  be  the  same  necessary  addition  to  the  comforts  of  school 
life  as  the  corresponding  persons  outside  of  the  school.  Hence, 
the  children  very  naturally  acquire  the  idea  of  the  "common," 
"base"  labor  which  is  the  lot  of  the  "lower"  classes  of  humanity, 
doomed  by  forces  unknown  to  the  child  to  be  the  natural  and 
eternal  slaves  of  his  will  and  that  of  other  privileged  people.  In 
this  manner  the  school  system  has  nursed  in  its  pupils  a  contempt 
for  physical  work  and  a  scornful  relation  towards  the  mass  of 
working  people,  on  whom  the  bourgeois  order  has  imposed  all 
the  hardship  of  this  work.  The  bourgeois  school  makes  of  its 
pupils  privileged  idlers,  people  unable  to  work,  and,  very  often, 
even  exploiters.  Heroic  spiritual  efforts  were  necessary  later,  a 
gigantic  internal  struggle,  and  a  sharp  revolution  of  viewpoints 
and  habits  of  mind,  in  order  to  rid  oneself  from  this  poisonous 
inoculation  of  the  school  and  to  overcome  the  immunity  result- 
ing from  it.  And  in  fact,  only  after  a  kind  of  psychical  "illness," 
could  a  man  brought  up  in  the  school  of  the  past  absolve  him- 
self from  inherited  ideas  and  attain  a  healthy  balance  and  a 
healthy,  sound  view  of  the  life  surrounding  him. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  school  servants  themselves,  put  in 
such  a  situation,  developed  and  strengthened  in  themselves  a  feel- 
ing of  injury  and  bitterness  because  of  their  fate  and,  as  a  natural 
consequence  thereof,  an  unfriendly  feeling  towards  the  pupils  of 
the    school,    to   these   "gentlefolk's    children"    and    favorites   of 

31 


destiny.     It  is  hardly  worth  mentioning  besides,  that,  alongside 
of  all  this,  there  was  some  evidence  of  demoralization  also. 

The  new  Labor  school,  which  the  Soviet  power  is  trying  to 
create,  must  not,  of  course,  permit  such  education.  Its  tasks  are 
diametrically  opposed  to  the  tasks  of  a  bourgeois  school.  In 
respect  to  physical  work  the  new  school  sets  as  its  aim  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  high  regard  for  all  lines  of  productive  work,  and  of  a 
profound  esteem  for  the  millions  of  the  working  masses.  The 
productive  work  of  men,  creating  new  cultural  values  and  free- 
ing humanity  from  the  former  fetters,  irrespective  of  the  category 
of  work — this  is  the  fundamental  idea  which  should  be  laid  as  a 
cornerstone  for  the  education  of  the  new  labor  school.  The 
conclusion,  then,  follows  of  itself,  that  in  the  labor  school-com- 
mune the  teachers  and  the  pupils  should  take  upon  themselves 
all  those  labors  which  the  old  school  imposed  upon  the  shoulders 
of  others  and  that,  out  of  an  ideal  inspiration,  the  physical  work 
necessary  for  the  schopl  life  should  be  equally  divided  among 
the  participants  of  the  school  in  accordance  with  the  physical 
strength  of  the  respective  age  groups. 

Here  we  approach  the  question  whether  there  exists  a  neces- 
sity for  school  servants  altogether  and,  if  such  a  necessity  exists, 
what  place  in  the  school  system  should  be  set  aside  for  the  school 
servants.  The  answer  to  this  question  is  offered  by  the  fundamen- 
tal principle  of  the  school  system :  the  education  of  children  in 
school  must  be  in  charge  of  no  one  else  but  those  who  are  to 
be  considered  as  instructors  and,  therefore,  the  instruction  in 
the  physical  work  necessary  for  the  economic  welfare  of  the 
school  life  must  be  put  m  charge  of  persons  who  may  be  called 
pedagogues.  Concrete  instances  will  illustrate  better  the  sub- 
stance of  this  thesis.  Let  us  assume  that  in  the  youngest  group 
of  children  who  have  not  yet  the  adequate  habits  of  physical 
strength  to  be  entrusted  with  performing  any  physical  work,  for 
instance  making  the  fires,  or  preparing  meals,  we  should  have 
to  resort  to  the  use  of  other  people's  work,  let  us  even  say,  the 
work  of  school  pupils  of  an  older  age  group.  In  such  case  there 
would  be  still  necessary  in  the  school  an  instructor-stoker  or  an 
instructor-cook,  who  should  be  fully  conscious  of  his  educational 
duties  and  who,  consequently,  would  have  to  attain  a  certain 
level  of  pedagogical  development.  The  heating  of  furnaces  and 
the  preparation  of  food  may  then,  under  his  leadership,  change 
not  only  into  a  very  important,  though  purely  mechanical  work, 

32 


I 


I 


into  a  mechanical  productive  work  having  a  very  great  educa- 
tional value,  too,  but  it  may  become  a  source  for  the  education 
and  mental  development  of  the  children.  Yet  the  leader-peda- 
gogue will  necessarily  be  compelled  to  have  by  his  side  a  helper 
not  from  the  ranks  of  the  pupils.  The  moral  and  mental  develop- 
ment of  this  helper  must  correspond  to  the  indicated  tasks  of 
work  in  school.  Another  instance.  If  a  nurse  is  necessary  for 
the  care  of  the  children  in  the  younger  age  group,  the  role  of 
such  nurse  should  be  at  the  same  time  an  educational  one,  and 
such  nurse  should  be  fully  aware  of  her  responsibility  before 
society  and  should  clearly  understand  the  importance  of  her 
duties.  The  work  of  a  nurse,  a  floor-scrubber,  a  stoker,  etc.,  if 
it  should  prove  impossible  to  do  without  their  help,  should  be 
to  some  extent  an  expert  work,  a  work  which  has  a  pedagogical 
foundation.  Under  such  circumstances  the  word  ''servants"  will 
assume  in  the  school  an  entirely  different  meaning:  the  school 
servants  will  become,  in  fact,  the  lower  pedagogical  personnel 
corresponding,  as  regards  its  value  in  school,  to  the  value  of  a 
surgeon's  assistants  and  nurses  at  the  time  of  operations. 

If  we  should  turn  to  the  present  realities  of  life,  we  would, 
indeed,  find  such  conditions  nowhere  in  school.  The  moral  and 
intellectual  level  of  the  school  servants  very  often  does  not  cor- 
respond to  their  task  and  is,  one  may  state  it,  directly  inverse  to 
the  level  of  the  luxuriousness  of  the  school  environment.  This 
is  not  the  fault,  of  course,  of  the  staff  of  the  lower  servants. 
For  obvious  reasons,  the  responsibility  for  this  is  also  in  this 
case  directly  inverse  to  the  educational  level  of  the  school  direc- 
l»  tors  and  is  the  result  of  the  former  economic  order  of  life. 

To  what  extent  the  leading  circles  ignored  up  to  the  time  of 
the  November  revolution,  the  problem  of  the  school  servants,  is 
manifest  if  only  from  the  circumstance  that  the  school  registers 
*did  not  even  take  cognizance  of  the  numerical  force  of  the  lower 
servants. 

Even  if  we  omit  the  question  of  guilt,  the  problem  still 
remains  and  it  is  left  to  the  Soviet  school  pohcy  to  perform 
this  task.  And  when,  with  this  policy  in  view,  one  reviews  the 
ranks  of  the  former  school  personnel,  one  can  hardly  find  any 
personal  points  of  support  for  a  further  movement.  For  that 
matter,  however,  a  straight  and  honorable  road  is  clearly  indicated, 
along  whiQh  Wt  only  will  the  movement  not  meet  any  obstacles, 

33 


any  differences,  but  not  even  a  single  contradiction.  This  road 
is  the  aboHshment  of  the  old  and  the  preparation  of  a  new  work- 
ing school  army,  with  the  improvement  of  its  working  conditions. 

And  indeed,  if  we  examine  into  the  school  methods  of  hygiene 
and  if  we  carry  into  execution  the  measures  recommended  by 
science,  we  cannot  imagine  that  the  work  will  be  successful, 
if  the  executors  of  the  first  customary  rules  of  health  preserva- 
tion will  demonstrate  a  skeptical  indifference  toward  them  and 
if  their  existence  will  be  surrounded  by  anti-hygienic  conditions. 
When  a  helper,  while  opening  ventilation  or  removing  dust,  or 
a  nurse,  while  attending  the  children,  will  only  care  to  execute 
these  operations  as  an  order,  as  a  hard  duty,  and,  while  removing 
the  dust,  or  touching  the  child  will  carry  from  the  dark,  damp, 
basement,  which  so  often  is  used  in  schools  for  housing  and 
crowding  servant  people  in  them,  his  or  somebody  else's  germs 
and  his  anti-hygienic  habits — then  such  help  is  directly  dangerous 
for  the  school.  The  helper-servant  must,  to  some  little  extent  at 
least,  be  acquainted  in  a  general  way  with  the  elementary  rules 
of  school  hygiene.  The  same  mav  be  said  of  the  helpers  in  any 
other  household  line.  Thus  the  school  is  in  need  of  qualified 
workers,  instructors  in  school  economy.  The  creation  of  an  army 
of  such  instructors  is  rendered  possible  all  the  more,  since  the 
remuneration  for  school  work  is  at  present  sufficiently  high. 

How,  then,  to  create  such  an  army?  Up  to  the  present  time 
there  were  conducted  everywhere  pedagogical  and  general  educa- 
tional courses  for  instructors  of  all  school  grades.  Corresponding 
courses  of  school  economy  must  be  quickly  organized  in  various 
localities  for  the  school  servants  and  for  the  instructors,  and 
these  courses  must  not  be  of  a  narrow  technical  scope  but  with 
a  number  of  subjects  of  a  general  educational  character.  We 
may  rest  assured  that  the  lower  servants  themselves,  who 
undoubtedly  aspire  to  education,  will  heartily  respond  to  the  idea 
of  the  courses  and  will  lend  their  support  to  these  tasks.  Then 
we  could  cherish  a  hope  for  the  creation  of  a  new  school  army, 
where  from  young  to  old  every  one  would  be  imbued  with  the 
common  idea  and  where  the  difference  between  the  old  and  young, 
between  the  "gentle"  and  the  "common"  work,  would  disappear. 
The  union  of  the  teachers-internationalists  and  its  branches  must 
pay  special  attention  to  this  question  and  to  advancing  the  prob- 
lem, in  co-operation  with  the  labor  union  of  the  servants  (along 
the  lines  of  specialization),  most  decidedly  and   quickly.     The 

34 


working  out  of  the  program  and  the  introduction  of  the  courses 
on  school  economy — this  is  the  immediate  task  of  groups  of 
idealists  who  are  interested  in  the  problem  of  education. 


Document  No.  11  is  an  interesting,  though  rather  brief,  out- 
line of  an  experiment  with  a  model  school  of  vocational  training 
for  children. 

DOCUMENT    No.    11 

Experimental  Vocational  School 

The  first  experimental  vocational  school  of  the  department 
of  school  reforms,  attached  to  the  People's  Commissariat  of 
Education,  began  to  function  June  19,  1918.  Great  difficulties 
connected  with  food  problems  have  made  it  impossible  thus  far 
to  admit  to  the  school  its  prescribed  full  quota  of  pupils.  The 
school  has  the  character  of  an  experimental  institution,  estab- 
lished for  the  purpose  of  a  scientific  and  practical  solution  of 
questions  connected  with  the  new  pedagogy  and,  particularly, 
those  regarding  the  school-workshop.  Its  activity  has  been  con- 
ducted along  scientifically  experimental  lines  and  for  the  compara- 
tively short  period  of  the  school's  existence  many  valuable  results 
for  the  realization  of  school  reforms  have  already  been  achieved. 

The  activity  of  the  school  has  manifested  itself  within  the 
following  spheres :  1 )  Biological  and  sociological  study  of  children 
of  school  age;  2)  Physical  instruction  and  education;  3)  Experi- 
ments along  the  line  of  an  extensive  organization  of  a  vocational 
school ;  4)  Experimental  investigation  of  various  methods  of 
educational  work;  5)   Social  education;  6)  Esthetic  education. 

To  accomplish  the  aims  stated  above  the  school  has  been 
organized  as  a  vocational  school-commune,  having  at  its  disposal 
a  number  of  scientific  and  auxiliary  institutions:  shops,  scientific 
cabinets,  laboratories,  and  cabinets  for  medical,  anthropological 
and  psychological  investigations. 

The  school  has  been  completely  furnished  with  the  necessary 
economic  and  school  inventories;  it  has  several  shops  for  car- 
pentry, book-bindery  and  classes  in  draftsmanship.  In  addition 
to  this,  the  children  receive  instruction  in  embroidering,  modeling 

35 


and  weaving.  A  biological  cabinet  has  been  purchased  and  a 
juvenile  and  teachers'  library  has  been  established.  Instructions 
are  also  given  in  national  history,  mathematics  in  connection 
with  national  history  and  elements  of  the  Russian  language. 


A  more  important  experiment  still  than  that  described  in 
Document  11,  is  that  shown  in  Document  12,  which  is  an  account 
of  the  aims  of  the  new  Institute  for  Child  Study. 


DOCUMENT    No.    12 

The  Institute  for  Child  Study 

Beginning  September  1,  1918,  3-semester  courses  have  been 
announced  at  the  Institute  for  Child  Study  on  preliminary  educa- 
tion which  have  for  their  object  the  training  of  instructors  for 
pre-scholastic  education.  Parallel  to  these  courses  there  have  also 
been  functioning  3  months'  courses  for  training  instructors  of 
Kindergarten,  children-homes,  playgrounds  and  children  settle- 
ments. 

The  Institute  itself — an  institution  for  the  first  time  function- 
ing in  Russia,  has  been  established  owing  to  the  necessity  of  a 
thorough-going  study  of  all  questions  connected  with  pre-scholas- 
tic bringing  up  and  of  creating  a  staff  of  trained  instructors  for 
the  solution  of  urgent  problems  of  today  regarding  state,  social, 
universal  and  free  education  for  children  of  pre-scholastic  age. 
With  these  objects  in  view,  as  well  as  for  purposes  of  wide 
propaganda  of  ideas  of  pre-scholastic  education  and  creation  of 
affiliated  branches  in  provinces,  the  Institute  has  been  divided  into 
the  following  departments:  1)  science,  2)  instruction,  3)  in- 
formation, 4)  publications. 

To  the  Department  of  Science  have  been  attached  the  follow- 
ing auxiliary  institutions:  1)  medical  and  psychological  labora- 
tory, 2)  experimental  infant  home,  3)  experimental  Kinder- 
garten. Scientific  investigations  are  recorded  in  a  special  maga- 
zine on  pre-scholastic  education,  published  at  the  Institute. 

The  Department  of  Instruction  includes:  1)  3-semesters' 
and  3  months'  courses  for  training  instructors  and  directors  of 
children's  institutions  of  pre-scholastic  age,  2)   a  training  school 

36 


for  directresses  of  children's  homes,    3)   experimental  Kinder- 
garten, and  4)  experimental  children's  homes. 

The  Information  Department  has  a  museum  and  a  library  on 
all  questions  of  pedagogy,  and  a  lecture  bureau. 

The  Publishing  Department  publishes  a  special  magazine, 
publishes  and  distributes  scientific  and  popular  treatises  on  pre- 
scholastic  education,  and  has  its  own  shop  where  furniture,  toys 
and  school  appliances  are  manufactured. 


II.   School  Sanitation  and  General  Hygiene 

The  hygienic  interests  of  the  population  are  treated  in  Docu- 
ment No.  13,  while  the  application  of  hygiene  to  the  school  is 
taken  up  in  Documents  Nos.  14  and  15. 

DOCUMENT    No.    13 

Essential    Problems    Connected    with    the     Organization    of 

Medical  Aid  Throughout  the   Russian  Socialist 

Federal  Soviet  Republic 

At  the  present  moment,  when  the  People's  Commissariat  of 
Education  is  approaching  the  question  of  education,  and  is 
attempting  to  direct  it  in  a  manner  necessary  for  a  thorough- 
going development  of  the  individual,  a  great  demand  for  physi- 
cian-pedagogues is  being  felt.  This  question  is  naturally  closely 
interrelated  with  the  organization  of  medical-sanitary -aid  in  the 
Republic.  At  the  congress  of.  medical-sanitary  boards  attached 
to  the  various  local  Soviets  of  workmen's  deputies,  held  during 
the  summer  of  1918,  in  Moscow,  the  following  resolution  was 
adopted : 

"1)  The  most  essential  organization  task  of  medical  aid  in 
localities  under  the  Soviet  Government  has  been  the  removal  of 
old  inter-departmental  limitations  and  their  unification.  2) 
Therapeutics  must  be  built  on  a  basis  of  a  consistent  reaHzation 
of  the  following  principles:  a)  general  accessibility,  b)  free  treat- 
ment. 3)  It  is  necessary  to  immediately  take  steps  toward  rais- 
ing the  quality  of  medical  aid  (special  hours  for  treatment, 
ambulatories,  special  dispensaries).  4)  Only  the  Soviet  Govern- 
ment, firmly  pursuing  the  policy  of  abolishing  social  inequality, 

2,7 


can  build  a  firm  foundation  for  an  organization  capable  of  fight- 
ing successfully  social  diseases  (tuberculosis,  venereal  diseases, 
child  mortality,  etc.)  as  well  as  anti-sanitary  housing  coriditions. 
5)  It  is  necessary  to  immediately  begin  an  extensive  sanitary- 
educational  propaganda  among  the  population  (readings,  lec- 
tures, exhibitions,  etc.).  6)  Forms  of  the  population's  participation 
in  medical  and  sanitary  activities,  and  forms  of  its  self -activity 
must  be  radically  changed :  a  most  extensive  participation  in  those 
activities  by  organized  labor  and  poor  peasants  is  required." 

For  this  purpose  a  People's  Commissariat  to  safeguard  health 
has  been  established.  Around  this  Commissariat  are  grouped 
various  medical  and  sanitary  branches  at  the  present  time  func- 
tioning in  different  localities.  1  he  central  Commissariat  has 
been  in  charge  of  the  whole  medical  business  and  issues  direc- 
tions to  local  Commissariats  of  kindred  nature. 

A  physician,  engaged  in  school  work,  must  raise  the  whole 
spirit  of  the  school,  which  is  a  laboratory  for  the  forging  of 
the  man  of  the  future.  The  proletariat  has  lit  the  torch  of  edu- 
cation and  has  for  its  object — the  utilization  of  all  the  progressive 
methods  of  Western  pedagogy,  school  sanitation  and  general 
science  subjects. 

After  the  November  Revolution  a  school-sanitary  Soviet  was 
established  at  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Education,  its  object 
being  the  protection  of  the  children's  health,  as  an  essential  pre- 
requisite for  a  high  standard  of  health  for  the  population  in 
general. 

DOCUMENT    No.    14 

School    Sanitation    Board 

At  the  Congress  of  medical-sanitation  held  at  Moscow,  June 
19,  1918,  there  was  read  and  discussed  at  great  length  the  report 
from  the  school-sanitation  board  attached  to  the  Commissariat 
of  Public  Instruction.  The  Section  is  entrusted  with  safeguard- 
ing the  children's  health  and  the  application  of  preventive  meas- 
ures in  schools  against  tuberculosis  and  neurological  diseases. 

Hitherto  in  Russia  little  time  was  devoted  to  physical  educa- 
tion of  children  and  their  hygienic  conditions.  At  the  present 
time  the  School  Sanitation  Board  does  the  work  of  spreading 
physical  education  among  children  and  of  removal  of  conditions 

38 


detrimental  to  students'  health.  To  accomplish  this  the  Board 
has  established  an  Institute  of  Physical  Education  in  Russia, 
experimental  institutions  (settlements,  schools  of  forestry, 
school-sanatoriums,  ambulatories,  etc.)  and  has  been  aiding  labor 
organizations  interested  in  the  establishment  of  such  institutions. 

The  following  resolution  of  the  School  Sanitary  Board  was 
adopted : 

1.  The  object  of  school  sanitation  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
Russian  Soviet  Republic  is  the  safeguarding  of  the  health  of  children 
of  all  ages,  physical  as  well  as  mental,  and  a  proper  organization  of 
physical  education. 

2.  For  the  realization  of  this  problem  a  central  school-sanitation 
Soviet  is  established  at  the  Commissariat  of  Rublic  Instruction,  rep- 
resentatives of  proletarian  organizations  and  large  masses  of  the 
population  participating  in  the  work. 

3.  Likewise,  similar  school-sanitation  Soviets  are  established  in 
localities  regulating  and  directing  the  local  school-sanitation  activity. 

.  4.  The  directing  organs  in  the  matters  of  school  sanitation  are 
medical  boards,  elected  by  medical  sanitary  organizations  such  as  the 
Soviet  of  Medical  Boards  or  the  Commissariat  of  Health  and  medical 
sanitary  sections  attached  to  the  local  Soviets  of  Workmen's 
Deputies  and  approved  by  the  Commissariat  of  Public  Instruction.  All 
these  organizations  are  working  in  close  contact  with  the  Central 
Commissariat  of  Health  as  well  as  with  the  Commissariat  of  Public 
Instruction  and  sections  attached  thereto. 

5.  A  school  physician  is  a  permanent  and  competent  member  of 
the  pedagogic  Soviet  and  is  actively  engaged  in  school  work.  He  is 
elected  by  the  school-sanitary  sub-section  of  the  medical  sanitary 
board  and  is  approved  by  the  Department  of  Public  Instruction 
attached  to  the  Soviet. 

6.  To  safeguard  the  health  of  children  and  to  render  direct  men- 
tal, moral  and  physical  aid  to  children  of  imperfect  health  the  school- 
sanitary  sections  (medical  boards)  establish  special  institutions: 
sanatoriums,  schools  of  forestry  for  physically  weak  and  sick  children, 
auxiliary  schools  for  underdeveloped  children,  auxiliary  dispensaries, 
sanatoriums  and  agricultural  settlements  for  exceptional  forms  of 
mental  and  physical  deformity.  School  ambulatories  are  established 
for  study,  medical  treatment  and  assigning  children  to  proper  institu- 
tions. 

DOCUMENT    No.    15 

A   Provision 

adopted  at  the  joint  session  of  the  United  School  and  School-Sanitary 
Board,  July  10th,  1918. 

The  science  of  hygiene  must  permeate  our  school  instruction  and 

39 


bringing-up  of  children,  beginning  with  the  first  hours  of  their  school 
attendance.  Instruction  in  hygiene  received  in  primary  schools  is 
completed  in  the  higher  grades  through  a  course  of  lectures  delivered 
by  the  school  physician.  Hygiene,  as  a  bio-social  science,  should  be 
taught  in  the  last  year  of  secondary  schooling.  Here  hygiene  should 
be  superseded  by  instructions  in  the  physiology  and  anatomy  of  man. 
Hygiene  should  be  taught  by  a  physician. 

Commissary  of  School-Sanitary  Department. 


III.  Art  Education 

In  each  of  the  capitals  there  is  an  Art  Collegium  to  look  after 
the  art  interests  of  the  population.  Document  No.  16  gives  the 
names  of  the  members  of  the  Moscow  Art  Collegium,  also  the 
various  functions  of  that  body,  which  show  that  the  Soviets  are 
much  concerned' with  the  teaching  of  art  and  the  preservation  of 
art  objects.  Documents  Nos.  17  and  18,  in  accordance  with  the 
Strindbergian  doctrine  that  "there  is  so  much  that  only  needs  to 
be  destroyed,"  deals  with  two  necessary  abolitions  of  former 
institutions,  before  their  functions  could  be  handed  over  to  the 
representatives  of  the  proletariat. 

DOCUMENT  No.  16 
The  Art  Collegium 

The  Art  Collegium  of  the  city  of  Moscow  has  the  following 
membership  list  of  painters,  sculptors  and  architects:  Koncha- 
lovsky,  Konenkov,  Mashkov,  Tatlin,  Ivanov,  Morgunov,  Mrs. 
Tolstoi,  Udaltzeva,  Schusev,  Noakovsky,  Theltovsky,  Vesnin 
and  the  Commissary  of  Art — Malinovsky.* 

All  of  them  had  joined  the  Collegium's  body  as  representatives 
of  the  unions  and  organizations  to  which  they  belong. 

The  Collegium's  objects  are : 

1.     Organization  of  State  art  education: 

(a)  establishment  of  art  studios  meeting  the  requirements  of 
the  new  Russia; 

(b)  propaganda  of  art*  among  large  democratic  masses. 


*  (Translator's  note — The  names  given  above  are  those  of  distin- 
guished artists  and  persons  who  have  been  interested  in  artistic  pro- 
motions, irrespective  of  political  affiliations.  So  far  as  is  known, 
Malinovsky  is  the  only  one  who  is  a  member  of  the  Bolshevik  party.) 

40 


2.  Effect  contact  with  world's  artistic  centres. 

3.  Promotion  of  growth    of  art: 

(a)  by  organizing  State  competitive  examinations; 

(b)  organization  of  trade  unions'  mutual  aid  societies,  etc.; 

(c)  organization  of  decorative  artists'  committees  and  scenic  art 
workers. 

4.  Organizing  the  preservation  of  arts  of  the  past  and  present 
and  protection  of  the  future. 

DOCUMENT  No.  17 
A  Decree 

The  Academy  of  Art,  as  a  State  Institution,  is  hereby  declared 
dissolved.  The  Higher  Art  School  is  thus  dissociated  from  the 
Academy  of  Art,  with  all  corresponding  credits  and  capital,  and 
reorganized  into  an  independent  art  school. 

The  Museum  of  the  Academy  gi  Art  is  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  Commissariat  of  Education. 

All  moneys  and  the  entire  property  of  the  Academy  of  Art  are 
declared  the  property  of  the  Soviet  Republic,  to  be  used  as  a  fund 
designed  to  meet  special  needs  of  art  culture. 

Chairman  of  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaries, 
V.  Ulianov   (Lenin). 

People's  Commissaires: 

A.  Lunacharsky,  Stalin  and  G,  Chicherin. 

Chief  Clerk  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires, 
V.   Bonch-Bruevitch. 

Secretary  of  the  Soviet, 

N.   P.  Gorbunov. 

DOCUMENT  No.  18 
Decree  Concerning  the  Moscow  Art  Society 

The  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires  decrees: 

1.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  school  of  painting,  sculpture  and 
architecture  under  patronage  of  the  Moscow  Art  Society  has  been 
placed  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Commissariat  of  People's  Com- 
missaires— the  functioning  of  the  Moscow  Art  Society  is  forthwith 
discontinued. 

2.  All  the  moneys,  movable  and  real-estate  properties  of  the 
Society  are  declared  national  property  and  entrusted  to  the  Commis- 
sariat of  People's  Education,  and  to  be  used  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
school  of  painting,  sculpture  and  architecture,  as  well  as  for  the 
organization  and  support  of  the  task  of  art  education  in  the  Rus- 
sian Soviet  Republic. 

41 


Chairman  of  the  S.  P.  C,  V.  Ulianov  (Lenin). 
People's   Commissaire   of   Education,   Liinacharsky. 
Charge  d'affaires  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires, 

Vladimir  Bonch-Bruevich. 
Sec'y  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires,  N.  Gorbunov. 

Moscow,  Kreml,  July  12th,  1918. 

We  come  now  to  one  of  the  features  of  Soviet  domination 
that  distinguish  it  from  any  other  government  that  has  ever  been 
established.  For  the  first  time  in  history  a  whole  people  is  to 
have  the  opportunity,  not  only  to  see  works  of  art,  to  appreciate 
them  and  study  them,  but  creatively  to  produce  art  of  a  type 
consonant  with  their  system  of  civilization.  The  efforts  of  the 
Soviet  Government  to  stimulate  the  proletariat,  now  that  it  is 
dominant,  to  take  advantage  of  its  opportunities  for  culture,  are 
nowhere  more  clearly  stated  than  in  Documents  Nos.  19  and  20. 
which  are  concerned  with  the  art  education  of  the  people. 

DOCUMENT  No.  19 

The  Main  Problems  of  the  Art  Sections  of  the  Soviets  of* 
Workmen's  Deputies 

Each  Soviet  of  workmen's  deputies  has  a  special  section  of 
people's  education  and  to  the  latter  is  usually  attached  an  art 
sub-section.  What  are,  then,  the  fundamental  problems  of  these 
art  sections  and  sub-sections? 

Four  main  problems  can  be  distinguished  upon  examination. 

J.  Keats,  the  English  poet,  said  that  "A  thing  of  beauty  is 
a  joy  forever."  It  would  have  been  better  had  it  been  possible 
for  him  to  say,  "a  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  to  everybody."  The 
immediate  duty  of  the  art  sections  attached  to  the  Soviets  of 
workmen's  deputies  it  to  turn  beauty  and  art  into  a  "universal 
joy" — a  joy  to  the  whole  city's  population.  The  first  problem  is 
the  "sociaHzation  of  art"  and  there  are  two  ways  by  which  this 
aim  can  be  accomplished  best  and  most  easily.  The  first  step 
required  is  external  beautification  of  cities  (chiefly  large  cities, 
of  course)  :  turn  them  not  merely  into  city-village,  city-park,  city- 
garden  but  also  into  a  city-museum,  a  museum  of  magnificient 
buildings,  beautiful  monuments,  in  fine,  make  them  externally 
resemble  that  picturesque  London  of  the  future  described  by 
William  Morris  in  his  Utopian  ''News  from  Nowhere."     Some- 

42 


thing  has  already  been  done  in  that  direction:  it  will  sujffice  to 
mention  here  the  erection  of  fifty  monuments  in  Moscow  in 
honor  of  leaders  and  heroes  of  the  world  revolution;  erection  in 
the  Mars  Field  of  a  memorial  monument  to  the  victims  of  the 
revolution ;  decision  of  the  Penza  Soviet  to  erect  a  monument  to 
Marx,  etc.  The  other  way  is,  through  the  socialization  of  art, 
turn  it  into  a  joy  for  all — holding  of  solemn  and  sumptuous 
national  revolutionary  and  socialist  holidays,  similar  to  those 
which  were  so  frequently  and  gorgeously  celebrated  during  the 
days  of  the  Great  French  Revolution,  when  famous  artists  such 
as  David,  and  many  prominent  composers  had  charge  of  these 
festivals  and  beautified  them  with  their  compositions.  At  these 
revolutionary  and  socialist  feasts,  art — music,  songs,  decoration — 
ought  to  play  an  important  role,  and  the  ceremonial  pageant, 
already  beautiful  in  itself,  ought  from  time  to  time,  at  big  squares 
and  especially  in  summer  time  beyond  the  confines  of  the  city, 
to  rise  to  a  real  festival  of  art. 

The  second  problem  to  be  solved  by  the  art  sections  or  sub- 
sections attached  to  the  Soviets  of  workmen's  deputies,  will  con- 
sist not  only  in  evoking  in  the  large  masses  of  the  city  popula- 
tions an  interest  in  all  things  artistic,  not  only  the  ''democratiza- 
tion" of  art,  but  also  in  laying  a  foundation  and  building  up  a 
genuine,  democratic,  proletarian,  socialistic  art.  The  best  means 
for  the  solution  of  this  second  problem  is,  first,  staging  of  such 
plays  as  represent  bourgeois  society  in  a  negative-satirical  vein — 
society's  manners,  its  heroes,  favorites  and  idols,  or  such  as 
describe  in  tragic  tone  the  struggle  of  the  working  class  against 
its  oppressors,  the  struggle  of  the  proletariat  for  its  emancipa- 
tion, and,  finally,  the  birth  of  a  new  socialist  culture  and  morality. 
The  accomplishment  of  this  aim — planting  the  seeds  for  a  prole- 
tarian socialist  art — can  be  also  considerably  aided  through  the 
organization,  at  People's  Houses  and  workmen's  clubs,  and,  on 
some  solemn  occasions,  at  theatres,  of  specially  arranged  literary- 
musical  evenings  devoted,  from  beginning  to  end,  from  the  intro- 
ductory word  to  the  concert  part  (recitation,  singing  and  music), 
to  emphasizing  the  subject  of  the  particular  evening,  for  an 
example,  the  Idea  of  the  Revolution,  Significance  of  May  1st,  or 
Proletarian  Poetry,  etc. 

It  is  necessary  not  only  to  socialize  and  democratize  art,  but 
it  is  also  a  matter  of  great  urgency — and  this  forms  the  third 
problem  of  the  art  sub-sections  attached  to  the  Soviets  of  work- 

43 


men's  deputies — to  prepare  the  large  masses  of  urban  population 
for  the  comprehension  of  esthetic  values  and  give  them  an 
artistic  education.  It  is  clear  that  the  following  measures  should 
be  undertaken  to  accomplish  this :  Publication  of  popular  pocket 
editions,  finely  prepared,  on  the  history  of  Russian  and  West- 
European  art,  which  would  give  understanding  for,  and  familiar- 
ize the  worker  with,  the  great  masters  in  painting  and  sculpture ; 
publication  at  popular  prices  of  reproductions  of  representative 
specimens  of  Russian  and  European  art,  especially  of  works  deal- 
ing with  social  themes,  the  toiling  life  of  peasants  and  workers 
(Adler,  Millet,  Manet,  Mentzel,  Maddox,  Brown  and  the  Rus- 
sian Traveling  Exhibitors) ;  arranging  lectures  on  art  which,  in 
a  popular  way,  with  the  aid  of  movies,  will  acquaint  the  toilers 
with  the  evolution  of  art  styles,  the  influence  of  social  surround- 
ings on  art,  technical  problems  connected  with  the  art  of  different 
epochs,  and  finally,  the  building  at  the  art  section  of  a  special  art 
library  and  reading  room — these  are  the  chief  important  means 
for  the  artistic  education  of  the  large  masses  of  the  toiling  urban 
population. 

And,  lastly,  the  fourth — and  perhaps  the  most  essential  and 
important  problem  facing  the  art  sections  attached  to  the  Soviets 
of  workers'  deputies — is  making  the  proletariat  and  the  toiling 
classes  capable  of  not  only  comprehending  and  criticising  things 
beautiful,  whether  in  the  form  of  stage  representations  or  crea- 
tions of  the  brush  or  chisel,  but  also  of  themselves  creating  those 
beautiful  things,  first,  in  forms  inherited  from  the  past,  and  then, 
in  new  forms  corresponding  to  the  psychology  of  these  new 
classes.  Establishment  of  schools  of  drawing,  modeling,  recita- 
tion and  theatrical  art,  creation  of  People's  Art  Academies  with 
lecture  halls  and  convenient  studios — these  are  the  means  that 
could  gradually  transform  the  toilers  from  passive  observers  and 
critics  of  beauty  into  creative  artists  of  beauty,  builders  of  a 
new  proletarian-socialist  art  which — we  believe — will  surpass 
in  its  grandeur  the  art  of  the  past. 

In  connection  with  the  above-stated  problems  of  the  art 
sections  attached  to  the  Soviets,  there  should  naturally  spring  to 
life  a  number  of  committees  entrusted  with  the  task  of  beauti- 
fication  of  cities,  organizations  of  national  holidays  and  pageants, 
organization  of  revolutionary-socialist  concerts  and  perform- 
ances; also  committees  in  charge  of  publications,  lectures, 
libraries,  schools — committees  composed  of  representatives  from 

44 


Soviets  and  labor  organizations,  artists,  actors,  stage  directors 
and  finally,  specialists  on  the  history  of  art. 

Such  are  the  manifold  and  difficult  problems  of  the  Soviet 
art  sections.  Their  duty  is  to  make  art  a  "joy  for  all,"  not  only 
in  making  the  great  masses  of  the  urban  population  interested 
in  things  artistic,  but  particularly  in  strengthening  and  promoting 
the  artistic  aspirations  of  the  revolutionary  proletariat ;  giving, 
to  the  large  masses  of  the  urban  population,  as  far  as  possible, 
a  thorough  artistic  education,  and  lastlv,  finishing  and  crowning 
this  work  by  training  the  toilers  for  active  artistic  creation.  To 
prepare  the  ground  for  a  new  art  created  by  a  new  people — 
such,  briefly,  is  the  aim  which  the  art  sections,  attached  to  the 
Soviets  of  workmen  deputies,  should  pursue. 

.  DOCUMENT  No.  20 

Art  Educational  Section  of  the  Moscow  Soviet  of  Workmen's 

Deputies 

The  activity  of  the  Art-Educational  Section  has  been  two- 
fold: administrative  and  art-educational,  strictly  speaking. 

Owing  to  the  "limited  number  of  persons  comprising  the 
directing  body  (the  delegates'  group)  much  time  has  been  con- 
sumed by  administrative  work,  weighing  heavily  chiefly  upon  the 
shoulders  of  a  small  number  of  active  members  of  the  delegates' 
group.  This  work  consisted  in  managing  the  State  Theatres 
and  a  dramatic  school ;  participating  in  the  management  of  peo- 
ple's houses  and  of  the  theatre  of  the  Soviet  of  Workers' 
Deputies;  artistic  supervision  of  Moscow's  theatrical  Hfe; 
solving  a  number  of  problems  connected  with  requisition  and 
housing  of  premises  occupied  by  theatres  and  by  members  of 
the  theatrical  and  musical  profession  and  issuing  of  permits 
for  removal  of  valuables  contained  in  the  safes. 

All  this  sort  of  work  has  consumed  much  time.  The  Section 
has  had  to  pass  on  whether  certain  theatres  were  subject  to 
requisition,  or  whether  they  were  to  be  preserved  as  of  artistic 
value.  This  required  a  re-examination  of  stage  productions  and 
of  the  theatrical  repertoire.  Since  several  organizations  claimed 
those  premises  the  Section  had  also  to  acquaint  itself  with  the 
nature  of  the  activities  of  those  organizations  in  order  to  preserve 
whatever  might,  at  a  given  moment,  prove  to  be  most  valuable 

45 


to  organized  democracy.  Besides,  the  Section  has  acted  as  an 
information  bureau  to  proletarian  organizations  which  have  been 
seeking  the  Section's  help  in  obtaining  quarters  for  their  cultural 
needs. 

The  Section  has  had  to  pass  on  whether  the  living  quarters 
of  various  individual  actors,  artists  or  musicians  were  subject 
to  requisition  or  progressive  housing;  whether  permission  should 
be  granted  to  certain  members  of  the  theatrical  and  musical  pro- 
fession regarding  the  removal  of  valuables  from  the  safes,  and 
what  particular  valuables,  etc. 

Thousands  of  persons  have  come  to  the  Section  requesting  a 
speedy  solution  of  all  these  questions. 

Still  more  complex,  and  consuming  still  greater  time,  has 
been  the  work  connected  with  the  management  of  the  State 
Theatres.  It  was  necessary  to  carry  out,  as  quickly  as  possible, 
the  reorganization  in  the  management  of  the  theatres  and 
determine  the  composition  of  theatrical  companies  for  the  next 
season,  in  order  to  begin  immediate  preparations  for  the  next 
season.  The  representatives  of  the  Sections  had  to  actively 
participate  in  the  meetings  of  the  Soviets  of  the  Main  and  Little 
theatres  and  the  Dramatic  School,  meetings  of  theatre  manage- 
ments, committees  on  reorganizations;  conferences  of  separate 
theatrical  troops  and  groups  of  theatrical  workers;  to  participate 
in  the  investigation  of  means  on  hand  and  to  prepare  the  esti- 
mates for  next  year.  Not  a  single  day  passed  without  such  meet- 
ings and  it  was  a  rare  thing  when  only  one  such  meeting  was 
held  instead  of  two  or  three.  As  a  result  of  this  activity  a 
temporary  provision  for  the  managing  of  the  Little  Theatre  has 
been  finally  drawn  up  and  accepted;  the  composition  of  the 
theatre  agreed  upon  and  organs  for  its  management  established. 
The  work  in  connection  with  the  Main  Theatre  and  the  Dramatic 
School  has  been  almost  completed.  The  Section's  activity  in 
organizing  the  distribution  of  tickets  to  the  State  Theatres 
among  labor  bodies  in  order  to  throw  open  these  theatres  to 
large  sections  of  democracy — deserves  to  be  mentioned  here. 

The  Soviet  Theatre  has  been  receiving  special  attention  from 
the  Section.  When  this  theatre  went  over  to  the  Art  Union  of 
labor  organizations,  two  representatives  from  the  Section  joined 
the  theatre's  management.  Such  performance  as  'The  Barber 
of  Seville"  and  'The  Merry  Wives  of  Windsor"  proved  to  be 
events  in  the  theatrical  life  of  Moscow. 

46 


Two  members  of  the  delegates'  group  have  joined  the  com- 
mittee in  charge  of  People's  Houses  and  these  members  have 
been  daily  engaged  in  carrying  out  important  and  responsible 
work. 

The  administrative  activity  just  described  has  naturally  taken 
up  the  greater  part  of  the  time  and  consequently  very  little  time 
could  be  spared  for  the  promotion  of  artistic  education  among  . 
the  masses.  ' 

The  first  thing  that  engaged  attention  was  organization  of 
performances  in  different  districts.  Prior  to  the  November  Revo- 
lution the  Section  had  organized  in  the  districts  a  few  performances 
of  the  Little  and  Art  theatres.  The  November  Revolution  tem- 
porarily frightened  away  individuals  in  the  theatrical  profession 
from  the  Soviet  circles.  But  they  have  gradually  come  back  to 
the  Soviet.  A  number  of  conferences  with  the  Actors'  Trade 
Union  resulted  in  an  agreement  by  the  terms  of  which  the  Moscow 
theatres  (Little,  Art  and  its  studios,  Chamber,  Komissarjevski, 
"Bat,"  etc.)  consented  to  hold  performances  in  the  districts.  And 
a  number  of  such  performances  did  take  place.  During  the 
summer  season  the  section  staged  many  performances,  aided  by 
the  casts  of  the  Komissarjavskaya  Theatre,  House  of  Free  Art, 
the  "Bat"  and  by  Voljanin's  players. 

Simultaneously  the  organization  of  district  concerts  was  in 
progress.  The  Section  organized  over  200  such  concerts  in 
Moscow  District  and  vicinity.  A  Soviet  of  Music  was  organ- 
ized with  the  object  of  introducing  greater  system  as  well  as  for 
directing  Moscow's  musical  activity.  A  few  meetings  were 
called  to  which  were  invited  and  came  all  prominent  leaders  of 
the  musical  world.  As  a  consequence  of  these  sessions  a  Bureau 
was  elected,  comprising  the  most  prominent  musical  names, 
for  the  purpose  of  outlining  the  problems  and  plan  of  the  Soviet's 
activity.  It  has  been  decided  to  organize  a  Soviet  of  30  persons ; 
15  representatives  of  the  musical  world  and  15  representatives 
of  organized  democracy  (including  2  representatives  of  musical 
school  students). 

Constant  requests  from  localities  as  regards  the  character  of 
plays  to  be  staged  at  People's  Houses,  what  plays  are  on  hand 
and  how  they  could  be  obtained  has  brought  into  existence  the 
repertoire  committee  of  the  Section. 

The  committee  ha^  worked  out  a  preliminary  list  of  plays 

47 


suitable  for  performing;  has  read  a  number  of  plays  and  is  at 
work  preparing  of  a  more  detailed  list  of  carefully  selected 
plays.  The  following  principles  have  been  accepted  by  the  com- 
mittee as  a  basis  for  the  repertoire:  1)  the  list  can  include  only 
plays  whose  artistic  value  is  beyond  reproach;  2)  these  plays 
by  the  impression  they  create  on  the  audience,  must  be  of  nature 
coinciding  with  the  spirit  of  the  times,  i.  e.  they  must  evoke  a 
vigorous  disposition  and  intensify  the  revolutionary  fervor  of  the 
masses.  The  committee  is  preparing  for  publication  a  book 
which  will  include,  in  addition  to  a  list  of  plays,  a  brief  summary 
of  them  and  stage-director's  notes  regarding  their  production. 
This  book  ought  to  aid  the  local  players  in  the  selection  of  plays,  as 
well  as  in  improvement  of  their  staging.  The  committee  is  also 
preparing  for  publication  a  number  of  new  plays,  chiefly 
translations,  beginning  to  publish  out-of-print  plays  and  preparing 
for  publication  a  collection  of  articles  on  history  and  theory  of 
the  theatres  and  also  of  a  number  of  books  bearing  on  practical 
questions  connected  with  the  technique  of  the  theatre. 

Lastly,  the  Section  is  issuing  its  own  magazine — The  Izvestia 
of  the  Art-Educational  Section.  Judging  by  the  demands  for 
the  magazine  from  the  provinces  the  need  of  such  a  publication  is 
very  great. 

This  is  what  has  been  done  by  the  Section : 

Wishing  to  widen  the  scope  of  this  activity,  raising  it  to  a 
level  befitting  that  of  the  Workmen's  Government,  the  Section 
has  worked  out  a  detailed  plan  of  activity  for  the  next  summer 
season,  listed  a  number  of  individuals  who  have  already,  in 
principle,  expressed  their  willingness  to  participate  in  the  execu- 
tion of  the  plan ;  drawn  up  an  estimate  for  the  meeting  of  possible 
expenditures  needed.  The  following  are  the  steps  under  the  con- 
sideration of  the  Section : 

1.  Staging  of  Verhaeren's  unique  play  '*Dawn"; 

2.  Organization  of  district  performances  and  employment 
of  the  Sections  own  casts  for  this  purpose ; 

3.  Organization  of  symphony  (two)  orchestras,  chamber 
concerts  and  wind  orchestras  (eight)  at  the  boulevards; 

4.  Organization  of  juvenile  performances  for  and  by  the 
children ; 

5.  Organization  (at  six  places)  of  people's  holidays  and 
pageants,  its  object  being  not  only  to  offer  to  the  people  sensible, 

48 


artistically  conceived  recreations,  but  .also  to  involve  the  masses 
themselves  in  a  creative  artistic  activity. 

6.  Establishment  of  courses  for  instructors  with  a  view  of 
educating  the  future  directors  of  People's  Houses; 

7.  Establishment  of  an  information  bureau  continually  in 
touch  with  the  Moscow  districts,  its  suburbs  and  provinces;  the 
bureau  will  not  only  inform  on  the  Section's  activities  but  will 
serve  also  as  an  advisory  board  to  persons  connected  with  such 
kind  of  work  in  localities; 

8.  Organization  of  a  technical  and  art  supervision  over 
theatrical  and  musical  Moscow  enterprises  and  organization  of 
a  control  of  State  taxes  in  theatrical  establishments ; 

9.  Further  widening  of  activity  of  the  repertoire  committee 
and  of  the  Section's  magazine.  For  all  these  beginnings  detailed 
plans  have  been  worked  out  and  on  their  basis  an  estimate  has 
been  drawn  and  already  submitted  to  the  Soviet. 


IV.  Preservation  of  Art  Objects 

The  Documents  presented  under  Part  HI  showed  the  meth- 
ods used  by  the  Soviet  Government  to  popularize  the  study  and 
production  of  contemporary  art;  Part  IV  contains  documents 
to  illustrate  the  piety  with  which  the  Soviets  approach  the  art 
of  the  past,  as  preserved  in  museums;  and  the  affectionate  zeal 
with  which  they  are  safeguarding  its  treasures.  Document  No. 
21  is  a  lengthy  general  statement  on  activities  in  this  direction 
covering  a  period  of  one  month  (May  28- June  28,  1918)  ;  Docu- 
ments No.  22  and  No.  23  deal  with  individual  famous  collec- 
tions: the  Tretiakov  Gallery  in  Moscow,  which  is  the  subject  of 
No.  23,  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  collections  of  recent,  paint- 
ings in  Europe,  including,  among  other  fine  things,  many  of  the 
paintings  of  the  famous  Russian  painter,  V^erestchagin  (1842- 
■1904). 

DOCUMENT  No.  21 

The  Activity  of  the  Section  of  People's  Commissariat  of  Edu- 
cation Devoted  to  the  Care  of  Museums,  Preservation 
of  Art  Objects  and  Relics  of  the  Past,  During 
the  Period  Beginning  May  28th  and 
Ending  June  28th,  1918 

The  Section  in  cliarge  of  museums  and  preservation  of  art 

49 


objects  and  relics  of  the  past  attached  to  the  People's  Commis- 
sariat of  Education  was  instituted  by  the  High  State  Committee 
of  Education  May  28th,  1918.  The  object  of  the  Section  in 
charge  of  museums,  preservation  of  art  treasures  and  relics  of 
the  past  attached  to  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Education,  is 
the  finding  of  ways  and  means  towards  the  creation  of  condi- 
tions favorable  to  the  growth  of  Russian  museums. 

In  addition  to  this  task  it  is  also  the  Section's  duty  to  take 
care  and  apply  measures  for  the  preservation  of  art  objects  and 
relics  of  the  past. 

The  immediate  problem  confronting  the  Section  is  the  map- 
ping out  of  the  standing  types  of  museums  and  carrying  this 
plan  into  effect  through  reorganization  of  the  existing  museums 
and  establishment  of  new  ones.  Also,  the  Section's  task  is  the 
unification  of  activities  of  individual  museums,  introduction  of 
a  well-defined  system  into  their  activity,  drawing  up  of  general 
principles  governing  the  State's  museum  policy  and  carrying  it 
out  into  execution.  Each  year  the  Section  presents  a  general 
museum  plan  and  a  common  museum  estimate,  completed  in  con- 
formity with  reports  and  suggestions  submitted  by  all  museums 
and  elaborating  it  by  corrections  and  supplements  necessary  from 
the  point  of  view  of  general  State  interest. 

The  Section  intends  to  devote  its  foremost  attention  to  the 
question  of  museum  accessions.  Preserving  for  the  museums 
their  right  of  purchase  at  their  own  initiative,  within  the  limits 
of  annual  estimate  appropriations,  the  Section  advances  the  idea 
of  creating  a  National  Museum  Fund  which  would  enable  us  to 
obtain,  on  a  large  scale,  individual  works  as  well  as  complete 
collections,  in  full  conformity  with  the  needs  of  individual 
museums,  as  well  as  of  the  whole  museum  undertaking,  thus  put- 
ting an  end  to  the  mutual  competition  among  the  museums,  so 
detrimental  to  the  interests  of  the  State. 

In  connection  with  this  there  also  ought  to  function  special 
exhibition  places  of  the  Museum  Fund,  wherein  the  Section's 
accessions  might  be  subjected  to  a  free  valuation  and  criticism 
by  the  whole  people. 

There  should  be  established  an  institute  of  "Correspondents," 
reporting  to  the  Section  on  the  condition  of  market,  auctions, 
sales,  possible  accessions,  and  generally  speaking,  about  every- 
thing pertaining  to  museum    art;    also    there  should  be  estab- 

50 


lished  an  institute  of  "Purchasing  Agents"  sufficiently  trained  in 
the  history  of  art. 

The  Section  intends  to  widely  utilize  the  special  commissions 
for  purposes  of  art-archeologic  discoveries,  investigations  of 
architectural  styles,  restoration  work,  uncovering  of  frescoes,  etc. 
It  has  been  planned  to  publish  a  special  magazine  devoted  to  the 
science  of  museums,  and  also  to  organize  regular  congresses  of 
museum  workers  and  to  establish  exemplary  exhibitions  demon- 
strating the  process  and  development  of  the  science  of  museums 
and  activities  thereof.  It  has  been  also  planned  to  rearrange  the 
art  treasures  in  the  museums  with  the  view  of  endowing  each 
museum  with  greater  value  and  individuality  and  abolishing  the 
existing  chaos  and  dullness. 

The  Section  considers  the  immediate  problem  of  our  times 
the  establishment  of  a  number  of  museums  in  those  fields  of  art 
which  in  Russia  have  heretofore  been  wholly  neglected,  for 
instance,  a  museum  of  Oriental  Art,  a  museum  of  the  most 
recent  art  and  a  museum  of  sculpture. 

Special  attention  will  be  given  by  the  Section  to  the  provincial 
museums.  The  establishment  of  new  museums  in  the  localities 
and  a  wholehearted  support  of  those  functioning,  is,  in  the  opinion 
of  the  Sections,  one  of  the  most  fundamental  problems  of  the 
Russian  museum  policy.  Another  such  pressing  problem  is 
democratization  and  popularization  of  the  museums'  activities, 
which  can  be  accomplished  at  first  by  making  the  attendance  of 
the  museums  easier  and  by  the  aid  which  a  museum  can  render 
to  the  spectators  during  the  study  of  collections  through  lectures 
or  lecture  cycles. 

The  object  of  the  Section  shall  have  been  considered  completed 
by  a  thoroughly  drawn  up  program  of  excursions  and  tours 
within  the  reach  of  the  masses  of  the  people ;  and  by  the  widest 
distribution  of  carefully  executed  reproductions  and  popular  edi- 
tions on  art  subjects. 

Also,  regarding  scientific  art  works,  the  Section  will  meet  the 
museums'  needs  in  the  sphere  of  technique  and  budget  for  the 
purpose  of  advancing,  in  the  best  possible  way,  the  Science  of 
Museums — a  science  so  young  in  Russia.  For  this  purpose  each 
museum  will  be  given  an  opportunity  to  have  photographic 
archives,  a  library  of  an  informative  character,  and  specially 
fitted  technical  shops  wherever  needed ;  photographic,  restorative, 

51 


framing,  bindings,  carpentry,  and  so  forth,  with  a  corresponding 
technical  personnel  at  their  service. 

As  regards  protection  of  art  objects  and  relics  of  the  past  the 
first  and  immediate  problem  of  the  Section  is  the  drawing  of 
regulations  designed  to  thwart  the  export  of  art  treasures  from 
the  territory  of  the  Russian  Republic. 

The  drawing  up  of  such  legislative  measures  though  incom- 
plete and,  so  to  say,  temporary,  should  be  immediately  com- 
menced by  the  Section  in  order  to  safeguard  the  country's  art 
treasures  which  are  threatened  to  forever  disappear  abroad. 

Next  to  this  must  be  instituted  a  careful  scientific  account  and 
description  of  these  treasures,  without  which — as  the  State 
Museum  policy  of  Italy  has  shown — the  realization  of  the  afore- 
said problems  cannot  be  accomplished. 

Those  institutions  and  persons  who  are  in  possession  of  col- 
lections of  great  cultural  value  will  receive  from  the  Section 
projective  charters. 

Flying  detachments  will  be  dispatched  to  the  localities  in 
order  to  bring  about  an  actual  control  of  the  "disappearing"  art 
valuables  from  the  provinces.  An  instruction  concerning  protec- 
tion shall  be  drawn  up.  The  Section  shall  protect  not  only  State 
and  public  museums,  but  also  all  private  collections  in  so  far  as 
they  present  a  State-wide  interest. 

Finally,  its  most  important  function,  without  which  it  would, 
generally  speaking,  be  impossible  to  realize  a  State-wide  program 
for  a  Museum  Policy,  will  be  its  contact  with  the  province.  The 
Section  will  effect  a  close  contact  with  the  local  organs,  propose 
the  organization  of  local  organs  of  analogous  functions,  thus 
creating  throughout  Russia  a  net  of  cultural  institutions  which 
shall  actually  carry  through  in  life  the  instructions  of  the  central 
directing  organ  at  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Education. 

Already  prior  to  the  official  establishment  of  the  Collegium  in 
charge  of  museums  and  preservation  of  art  objects  and  relics  of 
the  past,  the  question  of  nationalization  of  the  Tretiakov  Gallery 
had  been  discussed  at  the  initiative  of  the  present  Collegium's 
membership. 

For  a  long  time  a  contradiction  was  apparent  between  the 
formal  status  of  the  Gallery  as  a  regional-municipal  art  treasury 
and  the  all-Russian  artistic  and  scientific  reputation  it  has  long 

52 


enjo)^ed — a  reputation  which  has  been  growing  from  year  to  year. 
When  attempts  by  reactionary  currents  in  art  to  profit  by  such 
state  of  affairs  were  recently  revealed,  the  problem  connected 
with  the  Gallery  became  important.  The  initiative  of  the  Col- 
legium's membership  met  with  the  most  enthusiastic  reception 
from  the  People's  Commissary,  A.  V.  Lunacharsky,  who  sub- 
mitted this  problem  for  discussion  to  the  Soviet  of  People's  Com- 
missaries, and  on  June  3rd,  1918,  the  latter  body  issued  a  decree 
on  the  nationalization  of  the  Tretiakov  Gallery,  placing  the  Gal- 
lery under  jurisdiction  of  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Educa- 
tion. Finally,  on  June  17th,  1918,  in  accordance  with  a  proposal 
unanimously  submitted  by  the  Petrograd  and  Moscow  sections 
of  the  Collegium  in  charge  of  museums,  the  well-known  artist  and 
museum  expert,  J.  E.  Grabar,  was  appointed  director  of 
Ihe  Tretiakov  Gallery  by  the  People's  Commissary,  A. 
Eunacharsky. 

Similarly  at  the  initiative  of  the  Museums'  Collegium  a  ques- 
tion was  raised  on  the  necessity  to  requisition  a  Botticelli  (Tonto) 
painting  belonging  to  the  citizen,  Mrs.  E.  P.  Meschersky.  It  was 
reported  that  the  painting  was  to  be  shipped  abroad. 

The  matter  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Soviet  of 
People's  Commissaries,  which  on  May  30th,  1918,  decreed  to 
requisition  this  painting  and  declare  it  property  of  the  Russian 
Socialist  Federated  Soviet  Republic  and  place  it  in  one  of  the 
national  museums  of  the  Russian  Socialist  Federated  Soviet 
Republic.  At  present  the  Botticelli  picture  is  exhibited  at  the 
Rumiantzev  Museum. 

The  same"  instruction  directs  the  People's  Commissariat  of 
Education  to  draw,  within  a  period  of  three  days,  a  plan  of  a 
decree  prohibiting  shipment  from  the  territory  of  the  Russian 
Socialist  Federated  Soviet  Republic  of  pictures  and  generally  of 
all  great  artistic  treasures — this  plan  to  be  submitted  for  examina- 
tion to  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaries. 

The  Collegium  has  also  obtained  an  appropriation  of  250,000 
rubles  for  the  needs  of  the  Rumiantzev  Museum.  This  sum.  is 
to  be  spent  for  purchasing  historically  important  art  treasures 
which  appear  now  in  abundance  on  the  market  and  which  are 
irretrievably  lost  by  being  smuggled  abroad. 

Besides,  the  Section  has  commenced  to  execute  (and  partially 
has  already  executed)  a  number  of  commissions  of  artistic  and 

53 


scientific  character.  In  this  field  the  immediate  concern  has  been 
the  examination  of  ancient  fresco  works  and  iconography.  The 
results  are  as  follows : 

1.  At  the  Salvation-Adroniev  Monastery,  the  walls  of  the 
cathedral  at  several  places  have  been  scraped  from  the  old  time 
white-washing.  Ancient  frescoes  have  been  discovered  but  so 
damaged  by  late  coatings  that  it  is  impossible  to  define  the  nature 
and  subject  of  these  frescoes. 

2.  At  the  Church  of  Conception  of  Saint  Anna  (in  the  so- 
called  Chinese  Town)  built  in  1493,  a  priest  was  the  source  of  a 
statement  purporting  to  prove  the  existence  of  ancient  frescoes 
screened  from  sight  by  the  wall's  plaster;  no  frescoes  were  dis- 
covered after  a  careful  examination.  An  iconostasis  and  some 
ikons  examined  incidentally  have  been  found  to  be  of  very  ancient 
origin  and  of  great  importance  and,  therefore,  subject  to 
restoration. 

3.  At  the  Blagovyeschensk  Cathedral  of  the  Kreml,  follow- 
ing the  washing  and  cleaning  of  mural  paintings,  several  ancient 
frescoes  have  been  discovered. 

4.  At  the  Assumption  Cathedral  it  has  been  decided  to  con- 
tinue the  already  begun  restoration  work  of  some  of  the  ancient 
ikons  of  the  iconostasis.  It  has  also  been  decided  to  directly 
supervise  the  restoration  of  mural  decorations. 

5.  At  the  Archangel's  Kreml  Cathedral  several  ancient  ikons 
have  been  singled  out  for  the  purpose  of  their  complete  restora- 
tion. 

The  restoration  work  is  being  directed  by  experienced  prom- 
inent iconographers  and  supervised  by  the  members  of  the  Col- 
legium and  its  associates  (Grabar,  Baklanov,  Grischendo, 
Annisimov,  Muratov).  Iconographers:  Tuilin,  Chirikov,  Youkin 
and  photographer — Liadov. 

A  special  committee,  elected  by  the  Collegium  and  composed 
of  J.  E.  Grabar,  T.  C.  Trapeznikov,  V.  R.  Vipper  and  M.  M. 
Chusid,  after  an  examination  of  the  Great  Kreml  Palace,  have 
found  there  a  few  paintings  of  great  artistic  value.  Owing  to 
extremely  unsatisfactory  conditions,  affecting  their  safety  at  the 
Palace,  and  also  because  of  their  inaccessibility  for  the  larger 
masses  of  the  people,  the  committee,  pending  the  question  of 
their  transfer  to  the  Rumiantzev  Museum,    has    in    the    mean- 

54 


time  transferred  26  paintings    for  the   purpose   of   restoration. 
Of  special  prominence  among  the  latter  are  the  Rubens  canvasses. 

The  Collegium's  activities  outside  Moscow  have  been  demon- 
strated by  the  following  measures: 

A  detailed  plan  of  transferring  the  universally  known 
(Jvarov  Collections  to  the  Moscow  Historical  Museum  has  been 
drawn  up.  Competent  persons  for  this  commission  have  been 
appointed. 

At  the  initiative  of  Comrade  Vikensiev,  fellow-member  of  the 
Collegium,  it  has  been  decided  to  undertake  a  scientific  expedi- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  Burilinsk  Museum  at 
Ivanov-Voznesensk. 

The  Section  has  paid  especial  attention  to  requests  coming 
from  different  localities  and  striving  to  immediately  effect  con- 
nections and  contact  with  provincial  organizations  pursuing 
similar  aims. 

In  order  to  arrive  at  a  uniform  science  and  art  policy  in  this 
field  at  the  present  time — a  specimen  instruction  is  in  course  of 
preparation  for  the  establishment  of  local  Collegiums  in  charge  of 
museums  and  preservation  of  art  objects  and  relics  of  the  past. 

Of  the  broad  cultural  measures  introduced  through  the  ini- 
tiative of  the  Section  the  transference  of  the  famous  Stroganov 
archive  to  the  Perm  State  University  deserves  mention.  The 
well-known  specialist,  Professor  Grekov,  has  taken  charge  of 
scientific  examination  of  the  archive. 

Of  the  important  concrete  measures  to  be  carried  out  by  the 
Section  in  the  nearest  future  deserves  mention :  a  decision  to  in- 
vestigate the  Moscow  governmental  and  public  institution  with 
the  object  of  determining  the  character  of  art  objects  treasured 
up  therein;  investigation  of  the  antiquarian  market;  organiza- 
tion of  new  sub-sections,  as  for  an  example,  librarian,  etc. 

DOCUMENT  No.  22 

Paintings  at  the  Former  Kremlin 

The  Collegium  in  charge  of  museums  and  preservation  of 
art  objects  and  relics  of  the  past  attached  to  the  People's  Com- 
missariat of  People's  Education  has  entrusted  to  a  special  com- 
mittee the  examination  of  the  picture  gallery  at  the  former 
Kremlin  which  heretofore  has  been  hardly  accessible. 

55 


The  picture  arrangements  on  the  Gallery's  walls  does  not 
meet  the  most  elementary  museum  requirements.  Without  any 
system  the  paintings  have  been  permanently  set  into  the  walls  and 
are  separated  from  each  other  by  only  a  narrow  framework, 
which  arrangement  makes  an  intelligent  examination  of  the 
Gallery  impossible.  Besides,  many  pictures,  owing  to  differences 
in  atmospheric  conditions,  have  suffered  considerably :  they  have 
shown  cracks  and  in  many  places  paints  have  deteriorated — all 
this  threatening  to  ruin  the  pictures.  The  system  ot  cataloguing 
the  artists  was  arbitrary;  for  instance,  paintings  of  the  Nether- 
lands school  were  ascribed  to  Italian  masters;  first-class  works 
were  left  unclassified,  while  second-rate  things  were  ascribed  to 
first-class  masters. 

The  Collegium  has  decided  to  remove  from  the  Palace's 
Gallery  paintings  interesting  from  the  point  of  view  of  scientific 
examination,  and  transfer  them  to  the  gallery  of  the  Rumiantzev 
Museum  where  the  paintings,  after  restoration  and  investigation, 
might  be  exhibited  for  popular  examination. 

Special  mention  is  made  of  a  few  pictures  of  the  Rembrandt 
School,  two  Netherlands  primitives,  one  Florentine  portrait  of 
the  16th  century,  a  sketch  by  Rubens,  and  finally  a  number  of 
paintings  by  Italian  masters  of  the  17th  century. 

DOCUMENT  No.  23 

Decree  on  Natioiialization  of  Tretiakov  Gallery 

Whereas,  the  Moscow  Municipal  Art  Gallery — foundation  of  P. 
&  S.  M.  Tretiakovs — in  the  domain  or  art  and  culture  has  risen  to 
the  level  of  an  institution  carrying  out  State-wide  educational  func- 
tions; and  that  the  interests  of  the  working-class  demand  that  the 
Tretiakov's  Gallery  become  one  of  the  State  museums  whose  activities 
have  been  under  the  direction  of  th^  People's  Commissariat  of  Educa- 
tion— the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires  decrees: 

1.  The  Moscow  Municipal  Art  Gallery,  founded  of  P.  &  S.  M. 
Tretiakovs,  be  declared  State  property  of  the  Soviet  Republic  and 
placed  under  jurisdiction  of  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Education, 
subject  to  same  regulations  governing  the  rest  of  State  Museums. 

2.  The  Collegium  in  charge  of  the  museums  and  preservations 
of  art  objects  and  relics  of  the  past  attached  to  the  People's  Com- 
missariat of  Education  is  to  speedily  draw  up  and  put  in  operation 
the  new  regulation  concerning  the  management  of  the  Gallery  and 
its  activity  in  accordance  wiih  present  day  museum  requirements  and 

56 


problems   of   democratization    of   art,   educational    institutions    of   the 
Russian  Soviet  Republic. 

Chairman   of   the   Soviet   of   People's   Commissaires, 

V.  J.  Ulianov  (Lenin). 
Chief  Clerk,  Vladimir  Bonch-Bruevich. 
Secretary,  N.  P.  Gorbunov. 

*  :)«  * 

The  Soviet  Government,  as  the  reader  will  observe  if  he  re- 
fers to  Document  No.  1,  above. — discovered  that  the  bourgeoisie 
was  selling  :ts  works  of  art  and  also  looting  public  collections  and 
selling  their  paintings  to  foreign  collectors.  As  this  was  hostile 
to  the  artistic  interests  of  the  proletariat,  the  exportation  of  a.-t 
objects  was  prohibited  (Document  No.  24)  ;  but  in  another  field, 
the  Soviet  Government  was  eager  to  part  with  art  objects,  namely, 
such  as  had  been  taken  by  conquest  or  other  dishonest  means, 
from  Poland,  and,  with  this  object  in  view,  a  census  of  such 
objects  in  Russian  museums  was  undertaken  (Document  No.  25). 

DOCUMENT  No.  24 
Concerning  Export  of  Art  Objects 

The  Collegium  of  the  Commissariat  of  Education  has  passed 
a  decree  prohibiting  the  export  and  sale  of  art  objects  and  relics 
abroad  and  laid  it  before  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaries. 

The  Museum  Section  is  preparing  an  instruction  concerning 
/this  prohibition  and  elucidating  the  decree. 

The  Section  invites  representatives  of  the  Comm'ssariat  and 
Custom  House  Department,  with  a  view  of  cooperating  in  the 
solution  of  problems  connected  with  the  practical  realization  of 
the  decree. 

DOCUMENT  No.  25 

MOSCOW 

Governmental  Enactments 

From  the  Commiss.^.riat  in  charge  of  pi-^jjerties  of  the  Rus- 
treasuries  of  the  Russian  Federated  Soviet  Republic. 

To  all  museums,  palaces,  galleries  and  other  art  and  science 
treasuries  of  the  Russian  Soviets  Federated  Republic. 

57 


(Circular) 

Attached  is  a  copy  of  the  Order  No.  594,  dated  April  6th,  1918. 
The  people's  commissaires  of  education  and  in  charge  of  properties 
of  the  Republic  advise  to  begin  the  transference  to  the  Polish  Com- 
missariat, in  the  People's  Commissariat  in  charge  of  affairs  of  all 
nationalities,  of  all  objects  mentioned  in  the  aforesaid  order,  and  at 
present  in  the  possession  of  the  said  treasury,  after  a  preliminary 
description  and  examination  of  the  inventory  of  property  evacuated 
during  the  period  of  the  war. 

Fixing  no  definite  date  for  the  return  to  Polish  toiling  masses 
of  objects  of  art,  science,  and  culture,  removed  from  Poland  before 
the  present  war  at  different  dates,  the  People's  Commissariats  of 
education  and  in  charge  of  properties  of  the  Republic  advise  all  the 
museums,  palaces,  libraries  and  other  art  and  science  treasuries  of 
the  Russian  Soviet  Federated  Republic  to  immediately  begin  the 
preparation  of  a  complete  inventory  of  the  above-mentioned  objects, 
in  co-operation  with  the  representatives  of  the  liquidation  committee 
in  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the  former  Polish  Kingdom  and  now 
functioning  at  the  Polish  Commissariat. 

To  accomplish  this  aim,  it  is  necessary  to  establish — with  the 
consent  of  the  liquidation  committee  in  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the 
former  Polish  Kingdom — at  each  treasury  mixed  sub-committees  com- 
posed of  two  representatives  from  the  liquidation  committee  and  said 
treasury.  'The  sub-committee's  object  is  the  preparation  of  a  com- 
plete inventory,  of  articles  in  possession  of  said  treasury  place,  origin- 
ally belonging  to  Poland,  setting  down  the  history  of  how  these 
articles  came  into  possession  of  said  treasury  institution,  and  to  define 
whether  these  articles  were  transferred  from  Poland  to  Russia  by 
way  of  seizure  or  regular  commercial  transactions. 

People's  Commissary  of  Education,   Lunacharsky. 
Secretary,  Leschenko. 

In  charge  of  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Properties 

of  the  Republic,  Malinovsky. 
Secretary,   Kaufman. 

DOCUMENT  No.  26 
National  Factory  for  Manufacturing  Paints 

Owing  to  an  acute  shortage  of  paints  on  the  markets,  the 
Moscow  Art  Collegium  has  decided  to  establish  its  own  factory 
for  manufacturing  paints,  with  an  experimental  laboratory 
attached. 

The  establishment  of  such  a  factory  will  no  doubt  play  an 
important  part  since  Germany,  possessing  in  abundance  all  kinds 
of  chemical  products,  may,  as  soon  as  commercial  relations  are 

58 


renewed,  flood  the  Russian  market  with  its  paints,  which,  by  the 
way,  are  of  lower  quality  as  compared  with  those  of  England  and 
France. 


V.   The  Theatre  as  a  Means  of  Culture 

In  addition  to  what  is  contained  in  Document  No.  20  (page 
68)  on  this  subject,  we  add  Documents  Nos.  27,  28,  29  and  30, 
which  show  conclusively  that  the  theatre  is  to  be  made,  in  Soviet 
Russia,  a  part  of  the  esthetic  life  of  the  whole  population. 

DOCUMENT  NO.  27 
The  Repertoire  Committee  of  the  Art-Educational  Section 

The  object  of  the  Repertoire  Committee  is  first,  the  drawing 
up  of  a  repertoire  for  district  theatres,  and  secondly,  the  prep- 
aration of  a  list  of  plays  for  workmen's  theatres. 

In  the  opinion  of  the  Committee  the  following  principles  must 
underlie  the  preparation  of  the  repertoire:  1)  plays  on  the 
repertoire  list  must  be  artistic  creations  and  adapted  to  the  needs 
of  the  theatrical  art;  2)  they  should  heighten  and  strengthen  the 
revolutionary  spirit  of  the  masses;  3)  they  should  be  optimistic 
in  spirit. 

Owing  to  the  insistent  and  continual  requests  from  localities 
a  preliminary  list  has  been  prepared  including  the  following 
Russian  and  foreign  dramatists. 

Russian — Gogol,  Griboyedov,  Shackovsky,  Ostrovsky,  Leo 
Tolstoi,  Turgenov,  Tchechov,  Suchovo-Kobulin,  Shchedrin, 
Gorky,  A.  Tolstoi. 

Foreign — Calderon,  Lope  de  Vega,  Cervantes,  Shakespeare, 
Beaumarchais,  Moliere,  Schiller,  Blanche,  Ibsen,  Shaw,  Romain 
RoUand,  Verhaeren,  Delle-Grazie,  Mirbeau,  Hauptmann. 

The  plays  approved  by  the  Committee  will  contain  short 
reviews,  written  by  the  members  of  the  Committee  containing: 
a)  plot  and  central  idea  of  the  play,  2)  characterization  of 
the  stage  personages,  3)  possible  cuts  and  change  of  scenes,  4) 
illustrative  points  on  scenery  and  costumes   (preferably  accom- 

59 


panied  by  outline  drawings).     These  reviews  will  be  later  pub- 
lished by  the  Committee  as  separate  leaflets. 

Besides,  the  Committee  is  preparing  for  publication  a  number 
of  books  on  the  theatre.  The  subjects  of  these  books  are:  1) 
stage-craft,  2)  scenic  decorations,  3)  the  art  of  make-up,  4) 
costumes,  5)  rhythm  gymnastics,  6)  drama  and  opera,  7)  studio 
work,  8)  working  over  of  assigned  parts. 

DOCUMENT  No.  28 

Concerning  the  Transference  of  All  Theatres  into  the  Hands 
of  the  Moscow  Soviet  of  Workmen's  Deputies 

1.  It  has  been  decided  that  the  right  of  renting  of  theatrical 
buildings  be  exercised  by  the  Moscow  Soviet. 

2.  The  question  of  exploitation  of  theatrical  buildings  and  sup- 
pression of  any  kind  of  intermediary  agency  work  in  the  exploitation 
of  said  buildings,  should  be  laid  for  discussion  before  the  Land  and 
Housing  Section. 

Presidium  of  the  Moscow  Soviet  of  Workmen's  Deputies. 

DOCUMENT  No.  29 
Theatrical  Section 

The  pedagogic  division  of  the  Theatrical  Section  attached  to 
the  Commissariat  of  People's  Education  is  at  work  now  on  a 
plan  of  establishing  a  whole  system  of  theatrical  schools  in  Rus- 
sia (these  schools  already  function  throughout  Soviet  Russia. 
Translator's  note.)  Dramatic  schools  (State  and  private)  are 
divided  into  lower  and  secondary  schools.  In  the  lower  grade  is 
taught  the  technique  of  dramatic  art:  diction  and  gesture.  In 
the  secondary  schools  the  pupils  receive  instruction  at  the 
''studios"  of  individual  teachers.  The  main  object  is  to  develop 
the  individual  capacities  of  each  student.  These  schools  also 
teach  general  science  with  the  aid  of  lectures  and  laboratory 
research.  A  Theatrical  Academy  will  be  at  the  head  of  this  chain 
of  schools  where  art  will  be  taught  chiefly  from  a  theoretical 
standpoint. 

The  Theatrical  Section  at  the  Commissariat  of  Education  has 
established  instructors'  courses  where  stagecraft  will  be  taught. 

The  object  being  to  interest  new  forces  and  talents  in  creative 

60 


craftsmanship,  the  instructors'  courses  will  train  specialists  on 
stagecraft:  stage  managers,  scenic  artists,  property  men,  me- 
chanics and  electricians. 

The  two-months'  course  of  instruction  will  include  not  only 
lectures  on  art  and  technique  but  also  handling  of  practical  prob- 
lems closely  connected  with  them.  The  studies  will  be  conducted 
at  the  premises  of  the  Theatrical  Section  and  at  the  Communal 
and  State  theatres  and  studios.  Studies  and  instruction  are  under 
the  direction  of  the  following  persons: 

V.  E.  Meirhold,  stagecraft  science;  M.  P.  Zandin  (scenic 
decorator  of  the  Maryinsky  Theatre),  scenic  decoration;  S.  A. 
Yevsejev  (director  of  properties  shops  of  the  Maryinsky  Thea- 
tre), properties  studios;  F.  P.  Graff  (technical  director  of  the 
Maryinsky  Theatre),  stage  technique;  F.  M.  Paschuk,  master- 
electrician  in  charge  of  electrical  work. 

No  fees  are  charged  for  the  lecture  course  and  instruction. 

DOCUMENT  No.  30 

Theatrical  Performances  at  Shops  and  Factories 

Many  shops,  factories  and  plants  in  Moscow  give  their  own 
performances.  These  performances,  though  of  an  amateur 
character,  are  a  source  of  inspiration  to  the  workers  of  local  fac- 
tories who  are  the  actors  at  these  performances. 

Especially  successful  were  performances  at  the  Einem 
Chocolate  factory. 

Performances  have  also  been  given  at  Zindel's  shops, 
Prokhorov's  Dry  Goods,  etc.  At  the  latter  even  dramatic  art 
courses  have  been  opened  for  workers  wishing  to  receive 
dramatic  education. — A  news  item  in  a  Moscow  paper. 


VI.    Music  and  Musical  Training 

In  addition  to  much  that  is  found,  on  this  subject,  in  Docu- 
ment No.  20  (page  00),  we  present  here  two  Documents  (No. 
31  and  No.  32)  illustrative  of  the  manner  in  which  musical 
study  and  musical  creation  are  stimulated  in  Soviet  Russia. 

61 


DOCUMENT  No.  31 
Degree  Regarding  the  Moscow  and  Petrograd  Conservatories 

The  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires  decrees: 

The  Petrograd  and  Moscow  Conservatories  are  entrusted  to  the 
care  of  the  People's  Commissariat  of  Education  on  an  equal  basis 
with  all  other  higher  educational  institutions,  thus  dissociating  them 
from  the  Russian  Musical  Society.  All  the  properties  and  inventories 
of  said  conservatories,  indispensable  and  adopted  for  purposes  of 
State  Musical  Reconstruction,  are  declared  state  property  of  the 
people. 

Chairman  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires, 

V.  Ulianov  (Lenin), 
People's  Commissary  of  Education, 

A.   Lunacharsky. 
Chief  Clerk  of  the  Soviet  of  People's  Commissaires,  , 

Vladimir  Bonch-Bruevich, 
Moscow,  July  12th,  1918. 

DOCUMENT  No.  32 

A  New  Anthem 

The  section  for  the  promotion  of  proletarian  culture — '*The 
Proletariat — has  announced  a  competitive  examination  for  a 
text  and  music  of  a  "nev^  and  original  revolutionary  proletarian 
hymn." 


VII.    Public  Intellectual  Propaganda 

Document  No.  33  presents  an  enormous  program  destined  to 
familiarize  the  entire  Russian  people  with  the  literary  works  of 
the  past,  while  Document  No.  34  shows  that  the  Soviet  Govern- 
ment is  also  seeking,  in  more  modest  ways,  to  keep  the  names  of 
the  nation's  great  constantly  in  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants. 

DOCUMENT  No.  33 

Facts  About  the  Activity  of  the  Literary  Publication!  Boards 
Attached  to  the  People's  Commissariat  on  Education 

On  December  13th,  1917,  at  the  session  of  the  Literary  Pub- 
lication Board  a  committee  was  named  to  draft  a  decree  order- 

62 


ing  the  establishment  of  a  Technical  Board  to  take  charge  of 
state  j)rinting  shops,  including  all  those  printing  shops  which  had 
been  nationalized  after  the  October  revolution.  This  committee 
was  composed  of  representatives  from  the  Literary  Publication 
Board,  from  the  Commissariat  of  Interior  Printers'  Trade 
Union  and  a  committee  of  workers  employed  in  state  printing 
shops. 

In  February,  1918,  owing  to  energetic  activity  of  the  Soviet 
and  representatives  of  the  printing  trades,  publishing  business 
on  a  large  scale  was  made  possible..  The  State  Commission  on 
Education  made  up  a  list  of  Russian  novelists,  men,  poets  and 
critics  whose  works  were  declared  a  state  monopoly  for  5  years. 
This  list  includes  names  of  over  50  Russian  classics  such  as: 
Soloyiev,  M.  Bakunin,  V.  Belinski,  V.  Garshin,  A.  Hertzen,  N. 
Gogol,  F.  Dostoyevsky,  A.  Koltzov,  M.  Lermontov,  Nekrasov,  A. 
Pushkin,  L.  Tolstoi  J.  Turgenev,  A.  Tchechov,  and  others. 

July  4th,  at  Moscow,  there  was  established  a  committee  on 
Literature  and  Art.  Among  its  members  are  the  writer  V. 
Bruisov  and  V.  Grabar,  the  painter. 

A  committee  was  also  formed  to  publish  popular  scientific 
books.  This  committee  has  two  sections — political  economy  and 
natural  science.  The  latter  includes :  Professors  K.  A.  Timiriazov, 
A.  K.  Timiriazof,  A.  Michailov,  Wolf,  P.  Walden,  and  others. 
•  A  number  of  brochures  (original  and  translations)  have  been 
already  published  by  the  committee,  the  subjects  being:  astron- 
omy, physics,  meteorology,  botany,  pedagogy.  As  regards  the 
publication  of  text-books  the  State  Commission  already,  on  Dec. 
4th,  1917,  created  a  special  commission  to  take  charge  of  the 
work. 

A  semi-annual  appropriation  of  12  million  rubles  has  been 
granted  to  the  Literary  Publication  Board.  The  appropriation 
for  the  second  half  year  may  reach  20  millions. 

DOCUMENT  No.  34 

Memorial  Plates  for  Propaganda  Purposes 

At  the  Commissariat  of  Education,  at  the  initiative  of  Lenin, 
a  plan  for  employing  memorial  plates  for  propaganda  purposes 
is  being  worked  out  at  present.  A  selection  of  citations  and 
slogans  illustrating  the  moment  will  be  made.     These  citations 

63 


Avill  be  engraved  on  stone  or  bronze  plates  and  placed  on  the  main 
thoroughfares  of  the  cities.  The  best  artists  will  be  entrusted 
with  the  execution  of  the  work.  The  unveiling  of  each  of  these 
memorial  plates  will  be  made  a  celebration  with  speeches,  the 
text  of  the  particular  citation  forming  the  theme.  A  musical 
program  will  also  be  a  feature  at  these  occasions. 

It  has  also  been  decided  to  erect  at  convenient  points  of  the 
capitals  monuments  to  great  personages  distinguished  in  the 
Russian  and  world  revolutions.  These  monuments  are  proposed 
to  be  made  not  of  everlasting  bronze  or  marble,  but  rather  to  take 
the  form  of  plaster  and  terra-cotta  statues  for  propaganda  pur- 
poses. At  the  base  of  each  statue  will  be  placed  a  stone-slab  with 
a  short  biography  of  and  quotations  from  its  subject. 

The  statues  will  be  unveiled  on  Sundays  and  will  be  accom- 
panied "by  speeches  bearing  on  the  significance  of  the  individual 
in  question,  reading  of  selected  passages  from  his  works  and  a 
musical  program.  The  same  evening  at  one  of  the  main  city 
theatres  will  be  given  either  a  performance  or  a  concert  in  honor 
of  the  person  celebrated. 

As  a  beginning  it  is  proposed  to  erect  statues  of  Radischev, 
Ryliev,  Pestel,  Belinsky,  Dobroluibov,  Tchernyshevsky  and 
Nekrasov. 

Mr.  Sherwood,  sculptor,  will  direct  the  work. 

(Translator's  note:  The  above-named  publicists,  philosophers, 
writers  and  poets,  were  the  intellectual  precursors  of  the  revolutionary 
movement  in  Russia,  active  principally  in  the  1825-50  period.  Tcherny- 
shevsky's  famous  work,  "What's  to  be  Done?"  is  a  complete  analysis 
of  the  intellectual  currents  of  that  period. — Sherwood  is  a  common 
Russian  name,  of  English  origin.) 


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